$500K OK’d for kitchen project

Commissioners allocate American Rescue Plan monies to Neighborhood Alliance

Lorain County commissioners approved $500,000 for Neighborhood Alliance to construct an expanded kitchen to grow its senior meals program to address food insecurity.

On Sept. 1, the commissioners unanimously voted in support of the project funded from Lorain County’s share of American Rescue Plan money that will more than double Neighborhood Alliance’s capacity to grow and expand its programs in support of Lorain County seniors.

Commissioner Matt Lundy spoke in strong support of the project, saying you can’t put a price on healthier seniors and Lorain County is a better place because of their dedication and commitment to the community.

However, Lundy noted far too many people go to bed hungry nightly.

It’s necessary to show them the respect they deserve through supporting Neighborhood Alliance’s hot meals program, he said.

Board President Michelle Hung noted Neighborhood Alliance provides services to 80 percent of Lorain County communities and the project will help address a critical need.

Hung said food insecurity is one of the most pressing issues for Lorain County seniors, jeopardizing not only their health and wellbeing, but placing an additional strain on the health care system and the economy.

“As we get older, even the most independent among us may face a financial hardship or physical impediment that strips away our independence,” she said. “Add to that, a lack of transportation. The result is seniors can be left behind hungry and alone.”

Hung added that phase one is just the beginning and called on the community to support Neighborhood Alliance.

“We are a community that wants to see this project and these programs be successful,” she said. “While we are proud today to help Neighborhood Alliance begin this critical phase, the work has just begun.

“It is a journey that needs the help and support of everyone in Lorain County.”

According to figures provided by Neighborhood Alliance, in 2019, it provided more than 34,000 meals as part of its senior nutrition program and more than 64,000 in 2020.

With waitlists in place for all of its programs, and projections indicating a threefold increase in demand for meals by 2026, the agency will construct a new, expanded kitchen at its Washington Avenue location in Elyria.

Mark Charvat, chief financial officer for Neighborhood Alliance, said in analyzing the needs of the community, the agency needs to incorporate a new financial model to meet demand now and in the future.

Improving its means of production would enable Neighborhood Alliance to produce up to 340,000 meals annually, more than three times its current capacity, and in a more costefficient manner adding value to Lorain County communities it serves, Charvat said.

He said with local governments around the country debating and strategizing how to utilize federal coronavirus relief funding, the kitchen is tangible with a real, quantifiable and direct impact.

The Neighborhood Alliance Nutrition Kitchen has an estimated price tag of $680,000.

President and CEO Alicia Foss said the project would enable Neighborhood Alliance to streamline its food preparation in one location, down from four, creating a more efficient operation and driving food costs down.

Neighborhood Alliance is housed in the former Elyria YMCA, which donated the property.

The project estimates $25,000 in demolition costs, $285,000 for renovations and alterations, $275,000 for a new HVAC system, $35,000 for a walkin freezer and refrigerator and an additional $60,000 for food service equipment.

“We have a plan to continue to build this program,” Foss said. “More meals will mean fewer seniors in Lorain County are on a waitlist waiting to receive home-delivered meals and that’s really the main goal of this project.

“It also will mean healthier food for our childcare families, and for the residents of the homeless shelter that we provide. That will allow us to source foods locally and give them fresh fruits and vegetables instead of canned or processed food.”