RITTMAN – The Wooster Hope Center’s mobile food pantry officially launches Friday, June 10, when it will hand out large boxes of food to area residents at Anchor Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, 81 E. Ohio Ave.
The Mobile Food Pantry will be distributing food from 3 to 4 p.m. Executive Director Richard Frazier said people should plan on coming to the food distribution in a vehicle because they will not be able to carry the large boxes home. If they cannot come in a vehicle and are walking up, then they should plan on bringing a wagon or cart to haul the food home.
Wooster Hope Center leaders have been planning to add the mobile food pantry for the past year. The food pantry on wheels allows the Wooster Hope Center to partner with the Wooster Community Kitchen in an expanded role.
The two nonprofit organizations already teamed up to fill the community food boxes around Wayne County. Now, they will work together through the mobile food pantry.
“We’re so happy to be able to do more, and that’s what it’s about, helping our neighbors in need,” Frazier said.
The truck was customized to handle pallets of food boxes. At the Hope Center’s Greater Wayne County Food pantry in Wooster, people walk through a line and receive bags of food. But with this truck, volunteers will hand out boxes of food. And, because the truck is refrigerated, when milk and ice cream are available, they can be stored safely for transport.
Matt Allen of the Wooster Community Kitchen said he is grateful to be working with the Wooster Hope Center so they can bring the services they provide to those who lack the ability to drive to Wooster.
“By working together, we have been able to achieve our mutual goals of helping to reduce hunger in our community,” Allen said.
The mobile pantry will visit Lea Crest Estates, 13360 N. Elyria Road, from 3 to 4 p.m. Friday, June 17, to serve West Salem-area residents.
The plan is to serve Rittman and West Salem once a month and eventually add other communities. To learn more about the mobile food pantry, call (330) 683-2242.