Ancient philosophers believed the world was in a state of constant change — that even as you step from the banks into the body of a river you’ve always known, the waters flowing over your feet will never be the same waters that flowed just a moment before.
The day before the Stay at Home order was issued by Governor DeWine, Second Harvest made the difficult decision to discontinue use of its volunteers. That same day, we welcomed the arrival of 15 Ohio National Guard soldiers to help scale up the operation by pulling food orders, packing food boxes, and setting up and executing food distributions. Since that time, they have been instrumental in helping us serve the community. They are on assignment with us through December 2020.
Ford Motor Company is ‘Built to Lend A Hand’, and that is what it did during this pandemic. Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio received a grant from Ford Motor Company’s Ohio Assembly Plant to be used to provide food for families struggling with food insecurity as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and subsequent economic downturn. The $25,000 donation will fund 125,000 meals for families.This donation is another example of Ford’s commitment to its local communities,” states Jason Moore, Ohio Assembly Plant Manager. “As we continue to adjust to the current climate, Ohio Assembly Plant recognizes that people in our local community need our help. Second Harvest is an outstanding organization that is dedicated to helping those communities. It is a privilege to be part of the Ford Motor Company team that can help support Second Harvest in their endeavors and pursuit to assisting those in need.”“We are so grateful to UAW/Ford and the Ohio Assembly Plant for this donation. They have been strong and consistent partners,” says Julie Chase-Morefield, President & CEO of Second Harvest.“As we slowly make our way back from this emergency, there are many people who will be striving to regain their finances, find another job, and get their family back on stable ground. These individuals will still need the help of Second Harvest. Because of the help from the Ohio Assembly Plant, Second Harvest will continue to be the source of food, supplies, and hope.”
On September 27, we will be celebrating our fifteenth annual Generous Helpings event and for your health and safety, we are asking you to stay home! Yes, in 2020, we will be holding Generous Helpings @HOME. We hope you will join us as we gather virtually to mark that special last Sunday in September. We will celebrate with a virtual program sharing information on the work we are doing, presenting awards, and raffling off some special prizes featuring Chez François, Levit Jeweler, Inc. and others.
Growing Hope has been part of our mission statement for several years and it remains the words we hold onto as our team at Second Harvest is challenged with an ever-changing situation. By this time, we remained hopeful we would be on our way to a recovering economy in Ohio with families returning to work and gearing up for a new school year. But the need within our region for food remains high and our world is far from normal. Over the past 12 months we served over 125,000 different people through food pantries in the region - almost 28% of the population.
