More space solves a lot of issues.
The Greater Cleveland Food Bank held its second Drive-Thru Distribution in as many months on Lakeland Community College’s campus to an overwhelming parade of vehicles.
In fact, for the Aug. 11 outing, extra space in the student parking lot was designated to accommodate the overflow, which backed up Route 306 on July 14 during the food bank’s last visit.
As has been the standard go-to model for many gatherings amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, on-site, socially distanced contactless deliveries, in addition to community drive-by celebrations, have proven to be efficient substitutes when it comes to scheduled events.
For the food bank’s second trip to Lakeland, serving as the east side location point, 800-plus registered attendees proceeded slowly to receive boxes of food from volunteers and Ohio National Guard members, while adhering to mandated safety protocols.
The food bank also holds distributions in the Cleveland Muni Lot and at Parma Senior High School, as central and west side spots, noted Produce Partnership Manager Vince Cushman.
“This is open to everyone, and we want to make sure we can serve everyone across this part of the Northeast Ohio region,” he said. “Here, now at Lakeland, we finally have additional lanes to help traffic ease in and out.”
The food bank estimates there are more than 5,000 people in the Mentor area who are eligible for services but are not receiving them – the highest gap among Lake County communities.
According to Feeding America, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to hunger relief, more than 36,000 people out of Lake County’s 230,000-plus population are food insecure.
The two-hour distribution at Lakeland was one of 25 the food bank has held to date, with more forthcoming. Over 2.3 million pounds of food has been delivered during the events, serving nearly 44,000 households.
“In addition to the guard, to execute these distributions, we have had help from the Cleveland Police, volunteers from Parma, and also the Ohio State Highway Patrol,” said Special Events Manager Kevin Grissinger.
The food bank has more than 750 active agencies and program partners, though more than 130 are inactive due to the novel coronavirus.
Despite the health emergency, things remain busy.
“This runs smoothly, it really does,” Cushman said. “It’s a good feeling, too. You look up teamwork in a dictionary, and this here is what it reflects. We all have the same goal.”
