With the explosion of protests against police brutality, many becoming violent, that happened across the country this past week, it’s easy to lose sight of the ongoing, day-to-day pain of poverty and disinvestment in basic services, even though that’s the background against which these protests are playing out.
That poverty has only been increased by the pandemic, spreading lack of basic needs to a greatly expanded group of people. One of those needs is food security. And, as Greater Cleveland Food Bank president/CEO Kristin Warzocha told CoolCleveland a few weeks ago, the demand for their services has doubled while food donations (which often come from restaurants and other food businesses which have not been operating) have been more than cut in half. With three-mile-long lines for food tying up traffic around their Collinwood location just off the route 2 freeway at East 152nd Street, they had to move their weekly distribution to the City of Cleveland Muni parking lots.
“I’ve never seen anything close to this,” Warzocha told us. “No one can remember a time like this.”
While some people are slowly returning back to work, need remains high — many food distribution programs are still not operating. And it will continue to remain high and will continue to do so, while restaurants and other former donors are still operating on a limited basis — and many will go out of business. That forces the food bank to purchase more of their food.
As we told you in early May, there are ways you can help out. You can offer a financial donation, drive advocacy with local elected officials, and step up as one of the 1400 volunteers who have had to cancel due to the pandemic. You could even run a virtual food drive, like the photographer who took front porch photos and raised $5000+ for the Food Bank.
Go here to watch our video interview.
Go here to learn more about the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and what you can do to help.
Cleveland, OH 44110