SPANISH FORT, Ala. — It only takes one seed to make a difference.

That’s the idea behind Prodisee Pantry’s “Seeds of Hope” program launched one week ago to cultivate pepper and cucumber plants to include in supplemental Easter packages the emergency food assistance and referral agency will distribute to clients countywide in less than one month.

“Spring has sprung, so sowing seeds of hope seemed appropriate. The idea is to provide families with a freshly sprouted vegetable plant to take home and nurture, but it also fits in nicely with our motto of Helping Ordinary People Everyday, or H.O.P.E.,” said Deann Servos, executive director of the Spanish Fort-based pantry.

Of course, the seeds being sown might be the literal kernels submerged in fertile soil, or they can also be the figurative seeds of fellowship and charity.

“We thought Seeds of Hope was an excellent opportunity to teach some of the youth in our area about charity and all of the behind-the-scenes volunteer hours that go into everything we do,” Servos said.

And 15 students from Central Christian School in Robertsdale heard the call to service.

“We have a heart for people in need, and Prodisee Pantry has done an unbelievable job meeting those needs especially with the downturn in the economy, unemployment being so high and people struggling so hard and still losing their homes,” said Larry Johnson, who said the service project actually complemented well a Bible study he recently completed with some of the students.

In essence, the study plan focused on Jesus Christ as a role model and how that translates to everyday life when people speak of Christian service.

The class, which was tailored specifically to boys in the 11th and 12th grades, culminated with the pantry service day after spending the day before ministering to the homeless at Wings of Life in Mobile.

“As Christians, we need to be more closely identified with Christ, and that means modeling his behavior every chance we get, but it also means taking a look deep inside and determining what your gifts are and how they can fit into a ministry of some sort,” Johnson said.

Student Michael Doll nodded in agreement with Johnson as he worked methodically a few feet away, sorting the planted seeds by category and adding soil as needed.

“I just like to volunteer,” said Doll, who is also an active member of Boy Scout Troop 177 in Spanish Fort.

Johnson said the pantry’s ministry to families across the county has been so successful, many area churches have ceased their own pantry operations, opting instead to volunteer with the far-reaching nonprofit operation. Of course, the pantry’s commitment to fulfilling secondary needs for things such as spiritual support and “maybe even guidance to a church” make the decision to take part easy.

“We believe in what they do, and we’re happy to help in any way we can,” he said.

And that’s precisely why Central Christian’s volunteers were actually split into three rotations: planting seeds, stuffing Easter service invitations and folding boxes for the weekly distribution day.

“It literally takes hundreds of volunteer hours to get ready for a regular Tuesday morning, and when we do special events and holiday extras that number just goes off the charts, so their help couldn’t come at a better time,” said Servos, as the emergency food program braces for an anticipated onslaught of need as Easter approaches.

Servos said the idea for Seeds of Hope actually sprang from a Sunday School class’ donation of about 25 plants for distribution, and the randomly selected families who benefitted from the special gifts “were just overjoyed and so excited.”

The organization, which serves Baldwin County residents in need each Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Gathering Place at the Prodisee Center in Spanish Fort, continues to see requests for services increase as more and more formerly middle-class families find themselves grappling with the effects of unemployment, underemployment and, in some cases, total loss of income as a result of the national recession the oil spill that began ravaging the Gulf of Mexico almost one year ago.

Servos said the agency is serving nearly 250 families each week with requests for assistance increasing 12 percent in February compared with the same month one year ago.

“There are a lot of people who need help right now, and a lot of them are accustomed to being the volunteers, not asking for the assistance. We just want them to know we’re here, and we’ll continue providing as much as we can to as many as we can,” Servos said.

For more information or to arrange a service day for your organization, call 251-626-1720 or visit www.prodiseepantry.org. You can also follow Prodisee Pantry on both Twitter and Facebook.