HURON, Ohio — One church in Northeast Ohio is trying to help relieve some stress and put food on the table for families who have been struggling since the emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ended on March 1st.
Chris-Ann Hakeman created the community meals through her church 14 years ago.
“We’re feeding not only hunger, compassion, acceptance. There’s so many needs and it just doesn’t begin with food,” she said.
Last year Hakeman said the program served 11,461 meals. These meals help to bridge the gap and the free lunches on Mondays and free dinners on two Wednesdays a month are for anyone in the community that qualifies as low-income. Hakemain said it has been a team effort.
“I’m just so proud of everybody. This is a huge effort, teamwork. Huge,” she said.
Hakeman said the Second Harvest Food Bank donates the food for them to prep and serve. Debbie Schippel, one of the program’s volunteers, has been a part of this for four years. She said she has felt so fulfilled through this opportunity to help people.
“It was nice to come here and actually feel like I make a difference,” she said.
Another volunteer, Nadine Bober, has been helping with this project for years. She said that churches from the community also donate time and resources to help keep the community meals going and that people donate clothes, blankets and other items.
“Everybody gets involved in their own way,” she said.
This is Hakeman, the founder’s way of filling up her own heart by filling people’s bellies.
“Fulfillment is beyond belief when you go to bed with your heart pounding, knowing we are making a difference. We love them like they’re our family,” she said.
