Every day, countless families are faced with the difficult choice between putting food on the table and taking care of other important expenses such as housing, utilities or medical bills. The holiday season is no different.
In honor of Thanksgiving week, Cleveland Clinic, Meijer, Morrison Healthcare and other community partners came together to deliver hope and delicious meals to over 3,000 local residents.
On Saturday, Nov. 19, 50 volunteers prepared and distributed Thanksgiving meals across 27 community sites throughout downtown Akron, Lorain and Cleveland neighborhoods such as Central, Fairfax, Glenville, Hough, Ohio City and Tremont.
Additional community partners included Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority, Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation, Famicos Foundation, Fatima Family Center, Hitchcock Center for Women and YMCA of Greater Cleveland.
“We are proud to work with this incredible group of community champions to provide a Thanksgiving meal for our neighbors to enjoy with their loved ones,” said Vickie Johnson, Cleveland Clinic Sr. Director, Government & Community Relations. “Hunger and food insecurity are not seasonal occurrences. These are year-round concerns for many families in our area. We remain deeply committed to addressing these issues along with their root causes including racism and discrimination, employment, education and housing.”
A total of 3,300 free meals were given out. Each boxed dinner came with:
- Roast beef
- Mashed potatoes
- Gravy
- Green beans
- Dinner roll
- Cookie