The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Artist, businesses team up to help squash hunger
Food Not Bombs Lake County, a not-for-profit organizations that works with local businesses to help feed Lake County’s hungry has teamed up with the arts and business communities in Downtown Willoughby.
The organization, which holds weekly produce distributions for anyone in need is currently conducting a Squash Hunger scavenger hunt throughout Downtown Willoughby to raise funds to help feed more families.
The scavenger hunt which ends Nov. 10 features an assortment of prizes such as a free month of yoga, hair care products, a children’s book collection, lunch at Kleifelds, and a Downtown Willoughby prize package.
All prizes have been donated by participating businesses.
There is a $10 fee to enter the scavenger hunt.
Registration and payment can be done at the Willoughby Public Library, 30 E. Spaulding St. Participants then provide their social media and information for tracking the hunt, get a map of participating businesses and start the search.
Participants seek out pumpkins and gourds which have been painted by local artists. And when they find one, they take a picture of the pumpkin with their phone and post it to social media with hashtag and name of business where it was found.
Each week there will be a drawing for a prize from a featured business. Everyone who found a pumpkin at the featured business and posted it to social media with the proper hashtag is entered into the prize drawing for that week.
Once the hunt is over the person who has found the most pumpkins will win a downtown Willoughby Prize Package.
Art Bar owner Rose Caruso donated the gourds and paints supplies in addition to hosting the painting event.
“Arts in the community brings people together,” Caruso said. “Getting involved is an important part
of my philosophy as an artist.”
Pat Carroll Bonadner said she was excited about the opportunity to get the Arts Collaborative involved with the scavenger hunt and feels it’s a worthwhile cause that supports local merchants and makes art happen downtown, according to a new release.
According to Food Not Bombs organizer Maggie Rice, the organization is growing and so is the need for fundraising and the recruitment of new volunteers.
Food Not Bombs serves between 80 and 100 families each week at two locations during their weekly distribution.
Rice has no idea how many people the organization helps feed because they operate on a no questions asked policy so they don’t know the family sizes
Food distributions are every Tuesday at Todd Field in Willoughby from 3 to 4 p.m. and at the corner of East 64th and St. Clair from 5 to 6. No ID or personal information is required for either location.
of those that they serve.
Currently the organization is operating with approximately 10 to 15 volunteers with maybe five to six each week at the distributions.
They hand out an estimated 2,000 to 4,000 pounds of food each week.
Food Not Bombs operates on donations they receive each week from Trader Joe’s, and produce distributors like Sanson Co and PK Produce.
The organization also collects donations from the public and has held a variety of fundraisers such as selling Christmas ornaments at Kleifeld’s last year and recyclable shopping bags at the Farmers’ Market over the summer.
Food distributions are every Tuesday at Todd Field in Willoughby from 3 to 4 p.m. and at the corner of East 64th and St. Clair from 5 to 6. No ID or personal information is required for either location.
For additional information on the weekly food shares, making a donation, becoming a volunteer or on the Squash Hunger scavenger hunt, visit Food Not Bombs on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fnblc.