Harbor of Hope began in May of 2003 as an outreach ministry and food pantry serving just a few families each month. The ministry initially relied on food donations from the community, but soon had to get food from the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank to fill the need.
Due to the growing demand for food pantries throughout the county, Barrs Mill became the drop-off point for the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank’s deliveries to Tuscarawas County. The average number of families helped per month grew to over 100, and November of 2007, that number exceeded 224 families!