No one should go hungry here; won’t you help

It’s that time of year again. The holidays. A time of excess for many of us. Some of us are joking about the extra pounds we always seem to pack on this time of year despite our promises to hit the treadmill more often. The temptation to overindulge is everywhere.

Gathering around the turkey stuffed to bursting with grandma’s traditional recipe.

Nibbling at this and that as we catch up with friends and family.

Indulging in cookie trays and pumpkin spice everything.

But for others, there are very different worries.

They’re struggling just to put enough food on the table to keep everyone in the family healthy.

It doesn’t have to be that way. It shouldn’t be that way.

United Way of Lake County, local food pantries, county service agencies, the Salvation Army and area churches are stepping up to ensure quantities of food are plentiful and that no one goes hungry.

One such pantry is at Mentor United Methodist Church at 8600 Mentor Ave., as reporter Chad Felton shared last week.

Coordinators Mike Cosmo and Ruthie Hobart, along with numerous volunteers, community members and local students, have been busy stocking shelves and distributing boxes of food in preparation for the holiday season.

Last year, the church’s pantry served 115 families which totaled 473 people, said Hobart.

The church also benefits from the assistance of Mentor High Cardinal Lab students who arrive at the church and grab and load carts from the kitchen, including any newly donated items.

“This year, we’ve streamlined things a bit more to encourage socialization and interaction with those in need,” she said.

“Our wish is to engage our neighbors in need. Now, they come in with a volunteer and take advantage of the shopping element of the pickup, where they can select items they prefer.”

According to United Way of Lake County, 28,410 residents live with food insecurity, while 20,848 residents live in poverty.

“One in eight residents live with food insecurity in Lake County and fighting hunger is one of our top priorities,” said Jennifer McCarty, president and CEO of UWLC.

“Last year we provided our local food pantries with enough food for 204,996 meals and are on track to provide over 228,000 meals this year. However, thanks to the generosity of our community, United Way of Lake County can work to alleviate food insecurity for our residents.”

We’ve said it time and time again. This is a generous community.

Neighbors don’t hesitate to reach out to their neighbors in need. They know one day it might be them facing hard times.

“... We’ve even had people whose situations have taken a turn for the better and no longer need assistance. They often come back and give their time and donate food,” said Cosmo.

“That’s a blessing to see because it truly is a community effort.” Indeed. If this season, you find yourself in a position to help, please do.

Consider stopping by Giant Eagle supermarket, 7960 Plaza Blvd. in Mentor, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Nov. 18. Mentor Police will be hosting their fifth annual Fill-a-Cruiser Food Drive then.

Or perhaps you owe the Mentor Public Library some overdue fines.

Once again, library patrons can donate food in exchange for forgiveness of their fines during the Can Your Fines Food Drive.

The food drive will run Dec. 1-31 and people can donate at any of Mentor Public Library’s branches, according to a news release.

Each nonperishable food item that somebody donates will be worth up to a dollar off of the fines they owe.

Many local churches are collecting as well. Find out what they need.

Contact United Way of Lake County at 440-352-3166 or United Way Services of Geauga County at 440-2852261 and ask how you can best donate.

Or donate online to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank at www.greaterclevelandfoodbank.org.

There really are any number of ways we can help each other.

No one should go hungry, especially at this time of year.