Bulk foods store opens in Savannah

SAVANNAH – The new Beyond Measure Market just north of Savannah aims to fill multiple needs.

It’s an oasis of bulk foods and deli products in an area with few options nearby. It’s also a safe place for former Amish women to learn job skills as well as a source of funding for new apartments to house former Amish women. 

Located at 575 U.S. 250 N., Beyond Measure carries bulk food store staples like grains, pastas and canned fruits, vegetables, pickled products and jams. The store also features a deli counter with meats and cheeses, made-to-order sandwiches and salads and Toft’s ice cream. A few tables are available in the store for dining in. 

The 6,000 square-foot store also has a small selection of fresh produce, some frozen foods and baked goods.  

“I live in this area, and I know there’s no store unless you drive all the way into Ashland or you drive all the way into New London,” store manager Nona Elliot said. “So we keep it mostly bulk food and deli, but we do have convenience items as well so that we can serve the neighborhood.”

For Elliot, who has extensive corporate retail experience, Beyond Measure was a breath of fresh air. 

“It was close to home, and in my other jobs I’ve traveled a lot,” she said. “It just seemed like I got to do what I love, but with a purpose behind it … I’ve never met a group of more sincere people that are doing the right thing for the right reasons.”

In addition to serving neighbors, Beyond Measure was created to serve its employees, many of whom are former Amish. 

The store is owned and run by Mission to Amish People, a Christian ministry that is based in a building adjacent to the new bulk foods store, just behind Bethel Baptist Church.

Joe Keim and his wife, Esther, founded Mission to Amish People to help people who leave the Amish community transition to English life. 

“More and more Amish People were leaving the culture and for the first 30 years, my wife and I had kind of taken them in,” said Keim, who is himself former Amish. “It became almost overwhelming because in those 30 years we took in about 200 of them and they kept coming faster and faster.”

For years, the Keims and other MAP staff and volunteers have helped find housing for the former Amish people who come to their ministry from all over the country. MAP also helps former Amish people earn GEDs, get social security numbers, navigate dating and relationships and gain skills for employment. 

Still, there seemed to be a gap in the transition, especially for women.  

“The guys kind of come out and transition easier because they can get jobs with construction crews around here,” Keim said. “But for the ladies, it was a little different. It was harder for them to transition, and many times they were taken advantage of in many different ways.”

So MAP raised money through grants and private donations to build transitional apartments for women and then secured donor and investor support to build the market. 

“We were led by God to do it, and he kept opening doors,” said Sam Kline, the project manager who helped bring the vision for the market to fruition. 

The market opened March 8 and currently has six employees. The apartments, called New Beginnings Homestead, are nearly completed. 

Women will be able to stay in the apartments, paying rent as they are able, and work in the market as they get on their feet. 

Beyond Measure is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. 

For more information about Beyond Measure Market, visit www.beyondmeasuremarket.com. For more information about MAP, visit www.mapministry.org.