CLEVELAND — After fighting COVID-19 herself and experiencing the hardships the virus brings, one woman started her own food pantry to help others in need.
What You Need To Know
- The Greater Cleveland Food Bank has fed nearly a half a million people since the start of the pandemic through its drive-up distributions
- Many other organizations and individuals have also stepped up to meet the growing need
- One woman is fighting food insecurity from her own front porch
Parma resident Christina Schoger never knows what will be left on her front porch each day.
“This is the first time I’ve seen my porch, since January. We constantly working and unloading the donations from the community,” Schoger says.
Schoger operates a pantry from her front yard.
She launched Chrissy’s Cupboard in January to meet the needs of her community and to help those who have been financially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic — impacts that Schoger said she has felt personally.
“We came up with this during COVID after my husband and I both had it and realized that the strain that it puts us on — us missing that many weeks of work,” Schoger said.
With the help of social media, word spread about Chrissy’s Cupboard, and she said thank you to a generous community, as the shelves are refilled as soon as they are emptied.
“I have so many people come here per week, to not only use the pantry, but then turn around and donate other things,” she said.
Along with food, toiletries, and school supplies, Schoger has been collecting Easter basket items. Inside of her house, she’s been busy putting together 100 baskets. She said she wants people, especially children, to have a sense of tradition and normalcy, and a nice Easter basket is a start.
“Candy and Easter toys just aren’t in the budget this year, and maybe not last year either,” She said. “Everyone is struggling right now in one way or the other.”
Just like the items in Chrissy’s Cupboard, each Easter basket will be distributed from her front yard.
“It feels really good and I know, just seeing how much it was needed just here, which I didn’t expect makes me feel like I’m doing the right thing,” she said. “And it just feels really good and hopeful to see how many people truly want to help and make this a success.”
Chrissy’s Cupboard will soon have a brick and mortar location in Parma.
