With the holidays and colder weather quickly approaching, hunger in Lake County can be even more of a concern for many residents.
In the face of the demand, United Way of Lake County, along with local food pantries and county service agencies are stepping up to ensure quantities of food are plentiful and that no one goes hungry, while also coping with the indirect effects of the opioid epidemic, the organization reports.
One such pantry is Mentor United Methodist Church, at 8600 Mentor Ave. Coordinators Mike Cosmo and Ruthie Hobart, along with numerous volunteers, community members and local students, have been busy stocking shelves and distributing boxes of food in preparation for the holiday season.
Last year, the church’s pantry served 115 families which totaled 473 people, said Hobart. The church also benefits from the assistance of Mentor High Cardinal Lab students who arrive at the church and grab and load carts from the kitchen, including any new donated items.
“Those items’ expiration dates are checked and then sorted into the shelf,” Hobart said. “One student sorts while another adds the items to the inventory using the iPad.
“When we first began in August, we arranged all the food by category and checked expiration dates. All expired food was given to a local Catholic church. The rest of the items were counted and sorted onto the shelves, beginning our inventory list. Three to four students visit the pantry once a week.
“This year, we’ve streamlined things a bit more to encourage socialization and interaction with those in need," she said. "Our wish is to engage our neighbors in need. Now, they come in with a volunteer and take advantage of the shopping element of the pickup, where they can select items they prefer.”
Mentor United is one of several food pantries benefitting from corporate and community donations, individual donations and the aid of local businesses, including Heinen’s Grocery Store and packaging supplier X-Pac.
According to United Way of Lake County, 28,410 residents live with food insecurity, while 20,848 residents live in poverty.
“One in eight residents live with food insecurity in Lake County and fighting hunger is one of our top priorities,” said Jennifer McCarty, president and CEO of UWLC. “Last year we provided our local food pantries with enough food for 204,996 meals and are on track to provide over 228,000 meals this year. However, thanks to the generosity of our community, United Way of Lake County can work to alleviate food insecurity for our residents.”
In addition, UWLC also helped provide 28,556 congregate meals to county seniors and formula for 284 babies through support of their partner agencies.
Tami Lewis, United Way of Lake County’s director of marketing and communication, said the recurring feedback the organization has been receiving recently from the food pantries it serves has centered on how the opioid epidemic is affecting seniors.
“The pantries are seeing an increase in the number of senior citizens (they serve) due to the effect the opioid crisis has had on families throughout Lake County. More and more seniors have become the primary caregivers for their grandchildren because of parents who are suffering from addiction and opioid-related disabilities.”
Cosmo echoed Lewis’ statement, adding that pantries across the county are requiring more assistance due to the crisis.
“There’s been a 13 percent increase in the need for services,” he said. “In addition to the grandparents, we’ve seen a lot of great-grandparents taking on the responsibility of primary caregiver with parents either incarcerated, in treatment or, sadly, deceased. The parallels can’t be ignored and we ask that everyone lend a helping hand because no one is excluded.
“But everyone is extremely grateful and we’ve even had people whose situations have taken a turn for the better and no longer need assistance. They often come back and give their time and donate food. That’s a blessing to see because it truly is a community effort.”
