KEYSTONE HEIGHTS – At the beginning of each month, Lake Area Ministries on Northeast Commercial Circle, just across from the Post Office, is packed.

Standing room only.

Since 1989, Lake Area Ministries has become a staple of the Lake Region for low-income people in need of food. Early in the month is usually a busy time.

“We have received tremendous support from the community with private donations of money and food, church donations, business donations, and donations of food from Harvey’s Supermarket in Melrose,” co-director Chip Wester said. “We have a large number of people who give to us regularly.”

The organization describes itself as a “faith-based, non-denominational” nonprofit that serves as a food pantry. Though based in Keystone Heights, it serves areas throughout Clay, Bradford, Putnam and Alachua counties.

“About 80 percent of the people we serve are in Clay County,” said Wester, who, along with co-director Paula Buckner, oversees day-to-day operations.

Lake Area Ministries serves nearly 450 families and has an annual budget of approximately $100,000.

People who receive food from the nonprofit must meet certain income requirements and fill out paperwork on their first visit. For instance, a family of three that makes $26,208 per year or less is eligible.

Any individuals or families who are part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, Supplemental Security Income or Medicaid are automatically eligible.

“Sometimes I’m asked, ‘Aren’t you worried about people committing fraud and getting food when they can afford to buy their own?’” Wester said. “My response has always been that, yes, I’m sure some people try to take advantage, but if I’m going to err, I’d rather err on the side of helping people.”

Among the regular items people can get at Lake Area Ministries are peanut butter, pasta, canned vegetables, bread, limited meats, soup and laundry soap.

“Other items vary a lot,” Wester said. “We don’t get to choose what we receive.”

Lake Area Ministries – which has multiple rooms filled with shelves and pallets of food, as well as a room filled with large refrigerators of food – relies solely on volunteers, many of whom hail from 22 area churches.

Jan Hastings happened to be one of the volunteers here on this particular day. She was recording food donations and helping people check in at the front desk. Lake Area Ministries had just received a large shipment of matzo from Passover.

“I enjoy helping out here,” she said. “This is a wonderful organization and they do such a great job.”

Other food assistance for Lake Area Ministries comes from the USDA as well as other nonprofits – including Waste Not Want Not in Orange Park, which provides bread and occasional desserts.

“As a country, we throw away a quarter of all the food we produce, and we try to rescue that food which is still good and give it to people and organizations who can use it,” said Sandra Staudt-Killea, executive director of Waste Not Want Not. “One in six Floridians suffers from food insecurity, meaning they don’t always know where their next meal is coming from, so we’re trying to make an impact in that regard.”

Waste Not Want Not gets the bulk of its food from area businesses, where volunteers go to pick it up 363 days per year. They make 149 scheduled rescues per week and collect an average of 4,750 pounds of food per day.

Last year, the organization provided nearly 2 million pounds of food to 130,000-plus charities in 10 counties. Every Saturday, volunteers from Lake Area Ministries drive up to the Waste Not Want Not headquarters on Carnes Street to load up their van.

“Waste Not Want Not has been extremely supportive,” Wester said. “There are a lot of people in this region who donate and who lend their time. We have a lot of people who really care.”

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Email Christiaan DeFranco at chris@opcfla.com. Follow him on Twitter @cdefranco.