“The volunteer drivers have made it clear, if the van stops, there will be a huge impact to the community.” – Sue Juhasz
Opportunity is knocking.
The food pantry hosted by the Burton Congregational Church provides over 45 percent of the food distributed by the seven food pantries supported by the Geauga Hunger Task Force in Geauga County, said Sue Juhasz, task force president.
In 2017, that represented over 250,000 meals from this one pantry.
The pantry’s success can be attributed to the hundreds of volunteers that have come to help clients find what they need, restock the shelves and pick up needed food.
Picking up donated and purchased food has been made possible due to a large van volunteers drive to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and many of the local grocery stores such as the Middlefield Walmart and Marc’s and Aldis in Chardon.
It also has provided a way to pick up donated cheese from Great Lakes Cheese and purchases from Geauga Meats, deliver surplus food to the Newbury Food Pantry and transport and recycle the hundreds of boxes the volunteers unpack each week.
The pantry’s current van moves an average of 5,000 to 6,000 pounds of food per week. However, it is showing its age and has many, many miles, Juhasz said.
“The volunteer drivers have made it clear, if the van stops, there will be a huge impact to the community,” she added. “Their clients come from all parts of the county. This would create a great hardship to the hungry of Geauga County.”
An opportunity to keep the deliveries on the move is now in the works. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank has awarded the Burton food pantry a $10,000 grant toward a newer van.
“The grant is only valid until the end of September, so there is a short window to make this happen,” Juhasz said. “They have found a van at a local dealership who also wants to see the Burton’s pantry’s wheels keep moving. But, it is more money than their grant, so there is still additional funding needed. They have even worked on the sale of the old van to help the future in a dual way.”
The sale of the old van will be used to help with the upkeep and insurance of the new van, but is also being used to assist a former pantry client who has been able to rebuild their life and the business they lost during the recession. The family needs a vehicle to complete the way back, Juhasz explained.
People can help by make this initiative a reality by donating online at www.geaugahungertaskforce.com. You can also send funds directly to the Burton Congregational Church at 14558 West Park St., Burton, OH 44021 with a note for the “Pantry Van.”
