WOOSTER — The Hope Center Food Pantry has received a major, anonymous donation that the organization hopes to match by the end of the year.
The benefactor — who doesn’t want to be identified — will match donations made to the Hope Center during October, November and December up to $100,000, executive director Richard Frazier said Wednesday. It’s tied for the single largest pledge that the food pantry has ever received.
"We are very blessed," Frazier said. "We don’t go after grants. Everything you see here is the community serving the community."
The Hope Center, 807 Spruce St., serves all of Wayne County. On average, the center assists about 400 families and gives out about 20,000 to 25,000 pounds of food each week. That’s about 60 percent of all the free food given to families in need in the county, Frazier added.
Army veteran and Wooster native Tony Cowling, 57, made his second visit to the food pantry on Wednesday. His fiancee Michelle Sellers’ mother recommended the pantry to him, he said.
Since he began receiving disability benefits recently, he is learning how to balance a budget on a fixed income. Cowling said the Hope Center has helped him fill in a little bit of a gap that a regular paycheck would have helped with.
"Basically, it is what the sign says," Cowling said. "It’s hope for them. It’s someone to help them when they need it."
Cowling, who served in the Army as a cook in Hawaii for three years, said he isn’t searching for any particular items at the food pantry. With his cooking skills, he is able to take whatever he can find and turn it into a meal.
"They’re helping me keep my head above water," Cowling said. "So, somewhere down the line, I can do the same for someone else."
Operations manager Wendy Liebhart, who has worked at the Hope Center for five years, said the amount of need is startling. The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank has estimated that 12 percent of the population in Wayne County faces food insecurity — a term used to describe the lack of regular access to nutritional food.
"The growth and the clientele, I think it would surprise people to see who we serve and who is in need," Liebhart said. "We help single-parent families, working class poor to the elderly."
The pantry sees a wide range of support throughout the community, she said, including Girl Scout troops, 4-H projects and individuals wanting to make a difference.
"It’s wonderful," Liebhart said. "We are very blessed to have the support we have. It takes a community effort."
The Hope Center operates completely on volunteers and there is no payroll, Frazier said. The pantry is supported by the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.
To determine if someone is eligible for services, the pantry needs a driver’s license with a current address, as well as an emergency food assistance program form. If a family receives food stamps, disability, or a student gets free or reduced lunches, they are probably eligible, he said.
To volunteer or make a donation, visit woosterhopecenter.org, call 330-683-2242 or email Richard Frazier at rfrazier@woosterhopecenter.org.
