Robin Elhady loads groceries during Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church’s drive-through food giveaway.
The federal government may have re-opened and needy families are receiving SNAP benefits again, but there were people in Brookfield who didn’t just sit around waiting for the shutdown to end.
When there was no end in sight for the government shutdown, Belly Buster Sub Shop offered free subs to kids on Nov. 5, and the event struck a chord with community members, who donated to the cause. Sub shop owners Matthew and Josy Chu ended up extending the effort to Wednesdays through November.
“We were not expecting anybody to donate,” Josy said. “We put it on Facebook, and the following morning people” started bringing in donations.
Through Matthew’s connections at Brookfield Local School District – he’s head wrestling coach – and with the help of school Community Liaison Sabbrina Landers, Belly Buster was able to get subs directly to kids in need.
“We just want people to eat,” Josy said.
Amy Zell, president of the Brookfield Rotary Club, invited community groups and individuals to a meeting Nov. 12 – while the government still was shut down – to discuss options to address food insecurity.
“When it shut down, people were like, ‘There’s nowhere to eat,’” Zell said. “People don’t have food and they can’t drive to get any food.”
The group discussed blessing boxes or free food pantries, where people pick up nonperishable food items, and found they can be problematic. A blessing box in Masury was removed because of vandalism.
“I fill it on a Sunday and by Monday everything is gone,” Andrea Kreutzer, who coordinates the blessing box at Brookfield United Methodist Church, said, adding that it appears one person is cleaning it out.
“I’m not judging,” Kreutzer said. “It’s there for people to take, but, if we’re taking it just to take it, it makes me sad.”
Kreutzer noticed an uptick in attendance at the church’s once-a-month, drive-through food pantry, and the church decided to hold two in December: from 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 6 and 20. Food pantries at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, Masury; Living Waters Community Church, Masury; and Hartford Community Church also noted an increase in families seeking food.
Gary Jones, pastor at Living Waters, said there were eight or 10 additional families in November, up from the average of 40 they usually get.
“The people that were here, they had also been to every other food pantry there is,” said Jones, who did not attend the Nov. 12 meeting. “There are those that really work the system.”
Working the system aside, Jones said he doesn’t judge those who seek food from him.
“I don’t turn anybody away,” he said.
The majority of the food Living Waters gives out it buys from Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley. Second Harvest appears to have a good supply of staple foods but, “their variety is not what it used to be,” Jones said, speaking of the last few months.
“We give more food than any other food pantry around,” Jones said. “I try to keep a good variety.”
Living Waters’ major fundraiser for its food pantry is the bell ringers who collect at Brookfield Sparkle Market.
“So far, it’s been OK,” Jones said of collections, noting he will extend the collection period a few days to Dec. 22 or 23.
“Without them being so gracious, we’d be up a creek,” Jones said, thanking Sparkle’s owners, Tony and Teresa Modarelli.
Zell said the Nov. 12 meeting did not solve any issues, but that did not mean it was not fruitful.
“I don’t know what the solution is,” she said. “Sometimes you just gotta bring all the problems to the table and, if you don’t come up with a solution, you just keep looking.”
Local food pantry giveaway days
x Brookfield United Methodist Church, 6951 Grove St., Brookfield, 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 6 and 20. Information: 330-448-1001.
x Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, 8148 Ulp St., Masury, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 20. Information: 330-448-6731.
x Living Waters Community Church, 7382 Stewart Sharon Road, Masury, 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 19. Information: 330-568-8033.
x Hartford Community Church, Food Ministry, 3334 Route 7, Hartford, 8 to 9:30 a.m. Dec. 20. Call 330-717-2851 to register. Brookfield Senior Citizens Van will deliver within Brookfield and Masury; call 330-448-4500 to set up delivery.
Free food pantries are at:
x Brookfield United Methodist Church, 6951 Grove St., Brookfield.
x St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 4453 Warren Sharon Road, Vienna.
x Office of Dr. Joseph Fonagy, 7159 Warren Sharon Road, Brookfield.
