CLEVELAND — The Greater Cleveland Food Bank (GCFB) took a step forward this week in expanding its footprint in Cleveland's west side.
The food bank confirmed Friday it purchased a building at 9830 Lorain Ave. to be used as a new Community Resource Center as part of the third phase in its expansion project that has been in the works since 2019. The Lorain Road building will be leased to the food bank by Cuyahoga County through September 2026.
The GCFB identified the location after a undergoing a search for communities "where more emergency food and support is needed, based on the number of people eligible for Food Bank services at 200% of poverty or below," the organization said in a press release.
The purchase follows previous two phases in the expansion project, including the building of a Partner Distribution Hub on Coit Road in 2022 and its first Community Resource Center on South Waterloo Road last November.
"We look forward to beginning the third and final phase of our transformational expansion project and establishing a Community Resource Center for our neighbors on the West Side of Cleveland,” said Kristin Warzocha, GCFB's president and CEO. “In addition, we hope that our partners at Cuyahoga County will also have county caseworkers co-located at this new site, similar to our South Waterloo CRC, and we appreciate the county’s flexibility during this time of transition.”
The South Waterloo Community Resource Center includes a "healthy choice market," allowing community members to take free food in a grocery store setting. The resource center also includes 14 other nonprofits onsite that address underlying causes behind food insecurity and poverty, the food bank said. The center has served more than 35,000 people in its first nine months.
"We are proud to support the development of a Community Resource Center that will bring invaluable services to the west side," said Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne. "Our partnership with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank reflects our commitment to helping our residents thrive by ensuring they have access to the resources they need to succeed. We are excited about the positive impact this will have on the community and look forward to continuing our collaboration with the food bank in serving our shared mission.
The Lorain Road location was purchased via a "public-private partnership" with American Rescue Plan Act funds allocated through Ohio's state budget, the GCFB said.
