Stepping up, meeting demands:
The Cleveland Foodbank
Disclaimer: In compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, all stories about specific individuals are told with their express written informed consent.
Since 1979, the Cleveland Foodbank has worked to alleviate hunger by providing food and support to organizations that feed the hungry in northeast Ohio. In the first year of operations, more than 400,000 pounds of food was distributed to 100 local hunger relief organizations. Last year, 27.3 million pounds of food and other essential products were distributed to 456 member agencies – enough food to serve over 21.3 million meals for individuals in need in our community.
In a study released earlier this year, the Foodbank and Feeding America (the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization) reported that more than 223,700 people, including 85,000 children, received food assistance through the Cleveland Foodbank, a 54% increase since 2006.
“As startling as these numbers are, it is no surprise that more Ohioans than ever are facing hunger. The Cleveland Foodbank distributes enough food for 82,000 meals a day on average,” said Anne Goodman, Executive Director of the Cleveland Foodbank. “We know that the lines at the emergency food programs are longer, that we are distributing record amounts of food, and that Ohioans are suffering in this economy. What is truly disturbing is that many more seniors and children are suffering.”
While the incredible growth of the Cleveland Foodbank is remarkable, what is most impressive has been the agency’s ability to rise to meet the growing demand by increasing service efficiency and introducing new programs.
Program addresses changing needs
The BackPacks for Kids program was created by Feeding America. Thanks to operational funding from the Saint
Luke’s Foundation, the Cleveland Foodbank began offering the program
in 2006, and today, Foodbank volunteers pack six child friendly meals
per student into plastic bags (2,500 bags each week) and cases, which
are then delivered to 37 partner sites – area schools, churches and community
centers.
To participate in the program, partner sites go through a formal application process. Once approved, they must comply with Foodbank standards of service, best practices and reporting guidelines; and they must reapply annually.
Two years ago, the mother of a little boy attending Metro Catholic School
(MCS) asked to meet with the school’s director, Sister Anne Maline, SND.
Sister Anne assumed the mom was there to discuss minor disciplinary issues
her son was having, and they addressed that issue in a few minutes. But,
as the conversation continued, the mom talked about her real concern
– the lack of food.
Since 85% of the families with children attending MCS fall below the poverty level, Sister Anne realized this was very likely a problem affecting other families as well, so she sought out options, and applied for MCS to become part of the Cleveland Foodbank’s BackPacks for Kids program. Once accepted, Sister Anne sent letters about the program home with every student, offering parents the option of participating.
Throughout the past school year, bags of food were delivered to MCS each Friday, where volunteers put the food into the backpacks of 250 students. At the end of the school day, students took home backpacks containing a 2-day supply of food for the weekend . Each Monday, they returned the empty backpack, and the cycle began again.
“For our first distribution, the Cleveland Foodbank provided not only the backpacks, but also can openers – knowing that not every household might have this basic utensil,” said Sister Anne. “The students look forward to getting their backpack each Friday, and are always especially excited when they see Pop-Tarts®! For the rest of us, it’s such a relief knowing that our students will not go hungry over the weekend.”
Disclaimer: In compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, all stories about specific individuals are told with their express written informed consent.