The People Who Call Out To Us

Featured blog from the desk of Judy Jones, Development Director

Who are the faces in our community who worry about their next meal?  As the new Development Director at the Hunger Network, I have had the pleasure of visiting several of our Hunger Centers in the past few weeks, and meeting some of our clients.

They are people like Daisy Berrios and her family.  Daisy, her husband and their three children arrived in Cleveland just over a year ago from Puerto Rico. Shortly after settling into their new home, her husband was laid off from his job.  With only SSI and food stamps for income – and with a child who has severe food allergies – Daisy was worried about how she was going to provide healthy, nutritious meals for her family.  Through her church, she found out about the Hunger Network’s food pantry and Stay Well program at the Redeemer ICH Crisis Center.  There she was able to receive enough food for several meals – enough to get them through to the next Food Stamp cycle. And she was able to learn about healthy eating through the Stay Well program. Now that her husband is back to work part time, she is more confident about the future – and slightly less worried about food for her family.

They are people like 59-year old Larry, who is single with no family in the area and currently unemployed.  Larry’s health issues have been of major concern to him and he worries about how he can afford to eat healthy to improve his health.  He now comes to the Hunger Network’s University Settlement food pantry to receive a large bag of groceries, which includes fresh produce, and also receives a hot lunchtime meal.  He has found a new network of caring friends and looks forward to his time visiting University Settlement.

And they are children like 9-year old Kerri.  Kerri shouldn’t have to worry about where her next meal comes from, but she does.  Especially in the summer months when she does not attend school. She lives with her grandmother and two other family members and knows that food is in short supply.  Luckily, her grandmother knows a friend who volunteers at WSEM Community Corner who told her about the food pantry.  The family now receives nutritious food, including fresh fruit and produce, at the Hunger Center  - and are finding out about other available resources.  Kerri is more confident now – and is looking forward to the last few weeks of summer.

Meeting these people and hearing their stories inspires me to want to do more.  I hope that my brief glimpse into their lives helps you make up your mind to do a little more too!  Together, we can make a difference in the lives of Kerri, Larry and Daisy’s family – and the more than 60,000 other people who come monthly to one of our centers.

Please consider making a financial donation to help us bridge the gap between hunger and food!  Please click on the “donate” button on our website and look for the annual campaign link. Together, we can help a child worry less about his or her next meal – and instead concentrate on having fun!

For more ways to help the Hunger Network, or for a list of our Hunger Centers and updates about our programs, visit our website at HungerNetwork.org.

Remember, just one dollar provides four meals at a Hunger Network site.  You do make a difference!

First Day on the Job

Featured blog from the desk of Leah Backo, Development Intern

I had originally prepared for my position as the Development Intern for the Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland by pouring over the organization’s website as well as reading and watching news articles and other forms of publicity featured on the site or on good old fashioned Google search. But despite my excessive research, I still came across many surprises and discoveries during my first day on the job.

I arrived at 8 AM at the Hunger Network’s downtown office with the understanding that I’d spend the majority of my first day visiting a few of the over 100 local food pantries that the Network supports to help gather stories and images of those that utilize the Hunger Network’s sites on a daily basis. I had no idea, however, that these facilities provide much more than food.

At the first site, Redeemer, for example, there is not only a pantry and a hot meal program but also a day-camp-like program for children in the summertime. The program allows local kids to not only be supervised and entertained but also to be educated about healthy lifestyles. While programs like these are funded by sources other than the Hunger Network, their location is often the same as many of the Hunger Network’s web of pantries in Cuyahoga County. When we arrived, we found the children were given healthy breakfasts and were then engaged in a variety of activities including drawing and play-dough, singing and dancing, and finally watching a presentation about proper dental care from a team of dental students. In addition to programs for children, many facilities also house programs and entertainment for senior citizens. In the last facility I visited, a group of seniors were playing cards and games, making jewelry, and playing pool while they waited for a hot meal to be prepared for them to eat. While the Hunger Network does not directly fund this particular activity center and meal, they do fund the food pantry located in the center, making the facilities a place where people can not only receive food but also interact with other locals and have a sense of community.

In addition to being a gathering place for locals of all ages and providing food for those in need, some of the centers also provide clothing, either free or for a very low price, to not only clothe those who need it but also to provide a sense of dignity and self-worth.  Many facilities also offer informational pamphlets and packets about healthy living, budgeting, job hunting, and other topics that might be of interest to those of low income.

While I was impressed with all of the programs and activities offered at various Hunger Network sites, (even those activities which are not directly funded by the HNGC), I was most impressed with the centers’ commitment to providing nutritional food. I was happy to see that much of the produce and fresh items being given out actually appeared fresh and by no means second hand. I got to meet and talk to many of the people who utilize the Hunger Network’s facilities. I also got to chat with the facilities’ workers, most of whom were overwhelmingly passionate about helping people, loved the work that they did, and had hearts that just seemed to radiate goodness. I think that aspect of my first day is something that I will always take with me¬— seeing the diverse set of people the Hunger Network touches.

The Summer-Time Meal Crisis

Featured blog from the desk of Judy Jones, Development Director.

What happens in the summertime to children who receive free or reduced-price school meals during the school year? Nationally, parents report that family food expenses increase by more than $300 per month when kids are not in school. For many low-income families, there simply isn't enough stretch in the family budget to accommodate the increase.

Nelly, 17, a Cleveland area teen, knows first-hand about being hungry. She lives with her grandmother and her uncle, but has come to rely on a Hunger Network center for food when she’s not in school after her grandmother had a heart attack and had to give up her job. Her uncle works odd jobs but cannot find consistent work. Since coming to the Hunger Network center, Nelly not only receives lunch every day but has also started volunteering in other center programs. She will tell you, however, that the most important things she has received from the center are the bread, vegetables and general grocery assistance she brings home.

Nationally, the numbers are staggering. According to the latest USDA data, 15.8 million (21.6%) children lived in households facing a constant struggle against hunger. Of those children, less than 3 million received summer meals in 2013. In fact, in 2012 Cuyahoga County had the greatest number of food-insecure residents, with 212,449 adults and 129,680 children living with food insecurity. (''Food insecure'' is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's description of when consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year.) The ''Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation'' study by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) reveals that many of the more than one in four children in Ohio living in ''food insecure'' households do not have access to adequate nutrition, especially during the summer months.

Most of these children, unlike Nelly, do not live in walking distance of a center that provides summer meals. Instead of having fun, these children worry about where their next meal is coming from. 

They are children like Arianna. Before this year, 10-year old Arianna had never worried about food. Her mom and dad both worked regular jobs and there was always hot food on the table for dinner. Her mom made breakfast every day and then there was lunch at school. But this year, Arianna’s world crashed. Her mother died unexpectedly and her father lost his job. Arianna found herself eating both breakfast and lunch at school – and rarely had a hot dinner at home. But at least she wasn't hungry. And she knew that when summer came, she would be outside playing with her friends. But she didn't expect to suffer from hunger. Her father struggled with his new role as a single parent – and was ashamed to ask for help. Without access to school breakfasts and lunches, Arianna found herself at home alone more often than not, without any food in the house. Until her father found out about the Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland and their system of food pantries and hot meals, Arianna worried about both herself and her father. 

The Hunger Network has been helping families like Arianna’s and Nelly’s every day in every neighborhood of Cleveland and in suburbs like Middleburg Heights and Richmond Heights since 1978. Through our 100 pantries and hot meal programs, operated by over 1,100 caring volunteers, the Hunger Network distributes groceries and meals to more than 60,000 people a month – and shockingly, 25,000 of those people are children like Arianna.

The Hunger Network relies on the generosity of people like you in order to operate. We leverage federal, state and government resources along with support from individuals, companies, churches and others in order to get 4-5 balanced meals for each dollar spent. Imagine – providing 4 meals for just $1.00!

But more needs to be done. Not every Hunger Network center can afford to provide summer meals. And there is no doubt that the need far surpasses available resources during the summer months and throughout the year.

Together, we can make a difference in a child’s life this summer. Please consider making a financial donation to help us bridge the gap between hunger and food! Please click on the “donate” button on our website and look for the annual campaign link. Together, we can help a child worry less about his or her next meal – and instead concentrate on having fun!

HungerNetwork.org