September is Hunger Action Month — an annual campaign dedicated to driving awareness and inspiring action to help end hunger in America, and here in our own region. As the U. S. begins to reopen after a difficult year, the problem is far from over. Thousands in our area are still struggling to make ends meet and keep food on the table. Food shouldn’t be an impossible choice. For millions of people in America, a daily meal isn’t a choice between different dishes. It’s a choice between food and other critical needs — like medicine, housing, or transportation. Now you have a choice too ... How will you

Chelsea Freeman is the Educational Service Center of Lorain County (ESC) social worker contracted with the North Ridgeville school district. She is Second Harvest’s primary contact for the entire ESC project. She is one of nine social workers working with Second Harvest to bring food to children and families within these nine school districts. She shared some insights into the benefit of their program and partnership with Second Harvest.

Every month, Charles Bragg comes to Second Harvest to pick up a food box for himself and his ex-wife Anita. They have both been enrolled in the program for just under three years after finding information during an internet search for food resources to help supplement what they were able to afford. Due to Anita’s declining health and medical bills, the couple needed extra support to make ends meet.

Surviving 2020? It would not be possible without volunteers. Sometimes it seems like everything being said about the role of volunteers at nonprofits is cliché, but...it is true. Without volunteers donating their time and passion to our cause, we could not get food into the hands of children, seniors, and families. Volunteers make it happen. That’s why every April, we take the time to celebrate our extraordinary volunteers during National Volunteer Month.

In 2020, the rule book of who, what, when, and where for volunteers was rewritten for Second Harvest. With the shut-down order due to COVID-19 in March 2020, we transitioned away from our traditional way of operating to no-touch, drive through distributions. Our building was closed to the public and that meant that our beloved volunteers were not on property to sort and box food. We would not see most of our regular volunteers again until August when we opened up a few spots at our Mobile Pantry distributions and then back at Second Harvest filling distribution boxes.

To handle the high demand, Second Harvest was very fortunate to have the assistance throughout, of the Ohio National Guard in our building and out at distributions. In our warehouse, they have been packing boxes and helping with warehouse inventory and logistics.

In 2020 and now into 2021, our volunteers include our tried-n-true friends, new friends, the Ohio National Guard, local police departments, Lorain Auxiliary Police Department, Sheriff Departments, State Highway Patrol, City of Elyria and Lorain employees, local youth workforce participants, community crafters and seamstresses (who stepped up with their talents in making and donating cloth masks), and those who reached out to send us messages of encouragement and good cheer during the height of the pandemic. Each volunteer fulfilled a very important task at just the time we needed the help.

To all, we offer you a humble, heartfelt THANK YOU.

We are grateful for the Ohio National Guard soldiers and airmen serving with us at Second Harvest for over a year now. Just from August 2020 until January 2021, they sortedand packed 457,144 pounds of food and packed 16,276 senior and pantry boxes. Because of their help, so many families in our region got the necessary food and grocery supplies they needed. They are our colleagues, co-workers and friends. We are grateful and honored to work along side these dedicated men and women serving our community.