LAKEWOOD, Ohio — With support from Councilperson Tristan Rader and the City of Lakewood, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank has announced that they are expanding their benefits programs to reach additional families, children and seniors.
The Food Bank's outreach truck is on-site at Garfield Middle School every Friday from 10:30 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. to distribute grab & go lunches to Lakewood children. With the help of the City and the School District, outreach counselors are also signing those eligible up for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other benefits.
"We help people who qualify for these critical benefits and may not have realized it," said Tiffany Scruggs, Director of Benefits Outreach for the Food Bank.
The additional resources are much needed, as reportedly more than 2,600 Lakewood households have made visits to the Food Bank's partner agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"In my 20 years with the organization, we have never been so busy," said Food Bank President & CEO Kristin Warzocha. "More and more people are turning to us for help - particularly clients needing assistance for the first time."
Rader, a former Food Bank employee who helped launch the Benefits Outreach program several years ago, jumped at the opportunity to be involved.
"There are a lot of folks in great need, right here in Lakewood, and many are children," Rader said. "We are so fortunate and thankful to have partners like the Greater Cleveland Food Bank who have stepped up to help meet that need," he explains.
The Food Bank has an additional 56 partner sites this summer where grab & go meals for children in the community are being offered. Click here to find a location near you.
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