United Way of Lake County Distributes 21,970 lbs. of Food, 30,000 PPE Masks and 2,208 Bottles of Hand Sanitizer January 28, 2021
January 28, 2021 – Mentor, OH –United Way of Lake County (UWLC) distributed nearly 21,970 pounds of food to nearly 40 Lake County food pantries on Thursday, January 28, 2021.
The organization also distributed 30,000 PPE face masks and 2,208 eight-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer to the food pantries and various Lake County nonprofits and schools.
The food is enough to provide 18,309 meals to those suffering from hunger in Lake County.
UWLC convenes with the Lake County food pantries several times a year to determine the most requested food items. Based on this, Thursday’s distribution included Apple Juice, Fruit Cocktail, Raisin Bran, Toasted Oats, Corn Flakes, Peanut Butter, Jelly, Applesauce, Chicken Noodle Soup, Mac & Cheese, Beef Ravioli, Spaghetti, Spaghetti Sauce, Tuna, Chunk White Chicken, Knorr’s Creamy Chicken Pasta, Knorr’s Chicken Rice, and Knorr’s Alfredo Sauce Mix.
Volunteers from Teen Challenge were on-hand to unload the grocery delivery this past Tuesday and Moving Ahead Services of Willoughby donated members of their team to load the food into pantry vehicles today.
According to UWLC President and CEO Jennifer McCarty, “We’ve been responding to our communities most critical needs for nearly 100 years and our current focus is on meeting the many challenges brought on by COVID-19. The food and PPE distribution is just one of the ways we are working to provide relief to those left vulnerable by the pandemic.”
Pre-COVID, nearly 26,000 Lake County residents lived with food insecurity. This is 1 in 9 residents. And in 2020, inquiries for food assistance ranked number one among all inquiries for help received by Lifeline's 2-1-1 help referral hotline. The organization received a total of 9,233 inquiries for food assistance from those struggling with hunger.
Tami Lewis, UWLC Director of Marketing and Communications, said, “The hardships that have ensued have left many struggling for the first time ever. Resource-strapped families are faced with the worry of eviction, putting their children to bed hungry, going without needed medication and more. Too many of our friends and neighbors are combating fear, helplessness and despair.”
UWLC has a help resource center on their website. Anyone struggling with hunger or in need of health and human services are encouraged to visit uwlc.org/help-resources. More comprehensive help can also be found by calling Lifeline’s 2-1-1 referral hotline anytime 24/7.
“We are grateful that the human desire to help one another is strong. Now more than ever we need to join together to meet the rising needs of our community. I am asking everyone with the means to give right now to please consider making a donation so we may continue impacting the lives of those in need. One hundred percent of donations made to our community impact fund stay local, benefiting Lake County residents.” said McCarty.
Donations can be made in one of 4 ways:
- Online at uwlc.org
- By texting UWLC2020 to 44321
- By calling 440.639.1291
- By mailing a check payable to United Way of Lake County to United Way of Lake County, 9285 Progress Pkwy, Mentor, OH 44060