CLEVELAND — Hunger is on the rise not only across the country, but right here in Northeast Ohio.
Tuesday night on 3News at 5, we're sharing the first in a three-part series on how we're addressing food insecurity here in our community. It's part of our ongoing "Health, Hope & Healing" series with former Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton.
We begin our journey inside the Greater Cleveland Food Bank's new Community Resource Center.
Opened in October, the Community Resource Center is intended to support the ever-growing demand for food distribution and social service programs. It features a healthy choice food market with extended hours, and also houses 16 local non-profits that help address the root causes of food insecurity. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank intends to direct those needing assistance to the new center, as they officially end their pandemic-era weekly food distribution at the Muni Lot in downtown Cleveland on December 21st.
As Kristin Warzocha, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, explained to Dr. Acton, this new space is opening at a time of great need.
"We thought we'd seen an all-time high during the pandemic, frankly," she said. "The need for food skyrocketed when so many people lost jobs and had their hours cut overnight. But since November of 2022, we have set new records every month for people served."
Over the past year, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank estimates they've served around 400,000 unique individuals across their six-county service area. More than 100,000 of those people had never needed their help before.
Warzocha says that while she's amazed by how quickly and consistently the need has grown -- she believes it's in large part due to rising costs of living and the end of some pandemic-era SNAP benefits.
"Many times people are choosing between food and another expensive necessity, whether that's utilities or that's their mortgage payment or healthcare. And so the food budget is one that tends to be the most flexible," she explained.
WATCH: You can see Dr. Acton's complete interview with Greater Cleveland Food Bank President and CEO Kristin Warzocha below:
Tiffany Scruggs, the Resource Center's executive director and VP of community access, gave Dr. Acton a tour of the new space -- designed to reduce stigma, and emphasize dignity. The experience is meant to replicate a typical grocery shopping experience where you can load up your cart with items of your own choosing, instead of receiving a pre-packed box of goods.
"You should not be skipping a meal. We are here to help supplement when times get hard. And so we have positive quotes [on our walls]. We know that positive affirmations are important for the subconscious to make sure that if no one's telling you how amazing you are when you come here, we're going to remind you of your resiliency and how great you've been," Scruggs told Dr. Acton.
And there's much more to offer inside this familiar landmark on South Waterloo Road -- which was previously the Greater Cleveland Food Bank's main distribution center for many years. Their new distribution center building is nearby on the border of the Glenville and Collinwood neighborhoods, and opened last fall.
Scruggs says the new Community Resource Center was designed to be a welcoming space, and also features a teaching kitchen, free books, and a Family Connections family playroom, in addition to those non-profit partners.
"Generally our neighbors, when they are hungry or food insecure, they also have a challenge within employment, housing, and healthcare. We also know that other resources are critically important."
Scruggs told Dr. Acton that the organization made it a priority to communicate with community members to learn what services were most important when designing the space.
"It wasn't a surprise to hear that our neighbors wanted access to clothing for their children. It wasn't surprising to know about the importance of access to technology, access to legal services," she said. "Having access to a healthcare clinic at this location is groundbreaking... and [we also wanted to welcome] having minority and women-led organizations join us like the Diaper Bank of Greater Cleveland."
WATCH: See Dr. Acton's full interview with Tiffany Scruggs, the Resource Center's executive director and VP of community access, below:
As Dr. Acton points out, a large part of our "Health, Hope & Healing" series is about sharing ways those of us in need can reach out for connection and also what we can do to give back. Many times people just need help for a short period of time while they overcome a challenge or get back on their feet, and there are many resources to help.
You can contact the Greater Cleveland Food Bank here, or by calling their help center at 216.738.2067.
The Community Resource Center is located at 15500 S. Waterloo Rd., Cleveland, OH 44110, and you can find more information here.
If you're interested in supporting the work of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, you can find more information about donating your time, money, and advocacy here.