CHESAPEAKE — It’s another step down a path that Charles Bell believes is ordained by God.

Three years ago, Bell began a one-day-a-week food pantry out of the Chesapeake Church of the Nazarene, where he is a member. The name he chose shows what Bell wants to accomplish — Compassion Ministry.

And although the pantry started out small, word of mouth spread to where it now serves between 120 to 150 each Thursday.

Now Bell wants to spread his ministry beyond the village limits of Chesapeake. He wants to take his pantry on the road. The only problem is he needs a way to do that.

So Bell is hoping someone in the community could donate a truck to the pantry so the ministry can expand its work.

“I want to go out into the rural areas in the county and set up a couple times a month to try to help families who can’t make it in to Chesapeake,” Bell said. “To find a church way out in the county and let me set up in the parking lot.”

What Bell thinks would work for the ministry is a small box truck or cargo van.

“Anything I could put a pretty good load of stuff in,” he said. “I have talked to one place and they had a real nice one. I was hoping they would donate it to the food pantry. But people are strapped right now.”

All the money that comes into the pantry goes to food either from local grocery stores or food banks in Huntington, W.Va., and Logan. Neither Bell nor anyone who works at the pantry is paid.

“I can’t afford to buy one. What money I get goes to food,” Bell said. “If I could get a donation, I would love to do that.”

Since the pantry is classified as a 501c3 tax-exempt non-profit, the donation might be tax deductible, he said.

Right now Bell doesn’t see a way to expand the ministry, but is confident there will be one.

“God always supplies,” he said. “It has been on my mind for six months. One night I was in bed and I woke up and it just came to me. I learnt when God talks to you, you try to do what he wants me to. I believe this is from God and if I can locate a truck, I am supposed to do this.”