SAVANNAH – A new ministry celebrated its birth Sunday afternoon with music and prayer as the Living Waters Outreach Ministries hosted a grand opening in the former Savannah school building.

The nonprofit originated more than 15 years ago as a group of people who made a trip to West Virginia each year around Christmas, taking donated items and food to people in need. Each year, the trips continued and the locations expanded to include sites in Kentucky.

Office and store manager Charity Roland said her parents Roger and Christa Spoerr, their friend Dale “Bert” Bourgeoisie and the others involved recently had felt called to expand to help local families with a more permanent home.

“We will continue to make trips to other states but we really just wanted to do something to help people in our area who are in need,” Roland said.

Now, the Living Waters Outreach Ministry Center has found a home inside the old Savannah school house. Owners Roger and Joanne Shopbell have donated the space to the ministry.

Living Waters will offer a free thrift store, Bible studies, prayer groups, skills training and more.

The free thrift store will collect a variety of items including clothes, furniture, electronics, kitchen items, pantry items and more for its store. The store will be open Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. but can be open any time for an emergency situation.

The store will be open to everyone, Roland said.

“We want people to know this service is available. It’s free. There’s no questions asked,” Roland said.

Melissa Sponseller from the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce was on-hand for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the ministry’s grand opening.

“To have a new ministry come up into our area is awesome. There is such a need in this area so I just thank you both and all of you for pitching in to make this happen for Ashland,” Sponseller said.

Ashland City Councilman Matt Miller spoke at the grand opening Sunday and said there are many names used in the Bible to describe God’s followers but one stands out.

“The idea of being a servant isn’t something we get very enthused about, and yet that’s the greatest name the Lord used to describe you and me as his followers. Servant. Let’s look around us and we see there’s a group of people here who have answered his call to serve the people of this community,” Miller said.

Currently, the Ohio 545 side of the school building is being used for the store and classes. Eventually, Living Waters hopes to fix up the U.S. 250 side of the school for a soup kitchen and temporary housing.

Ashland Idol winner Scot Millhouse, Tiffany Esbenshade and vocal group Warriors performed during the grand opening Sunday afternoon.

Anyone wanting to donate items to Living Waters can drop them off at the office at 11 S. Main St. in Savannah.

For more information about Living Waters, call 419-651-6622, email livingwatersministry@hotmail.com or visit the ministry’s Facebook page.