Beginning January 2017, the Direct Food Distribution funded by the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and managed by Wooster Hope Center will be moving from the Wayne County Fairgrounds to the Wooster Hope Center’s new facility at 807 South Spruce St.
The Direct Food Distribution will still be held the fourth week of each month, but will be held over two days with more convenient hours for community recipients.
The new Distribution will be held on:
- The fourth Wednesday of each month from 11:00AM-3:00PM
- The fourth Thursday of each month from 5:00PM-8:00PM
A Direct Food Distribution is a mutual program between the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and select partner agencies or community host organizations to host large, on site distributions of produce and dry goods to geographic areas of need.
“The Foodbank strives for efficiency and innovation to address hunger in the communities we serve, and our Direct Food Distribution is an example of that in action,” said Dan Flowers, president & CEO of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. “Strong community partnerships are essential to this program, and we are so grateful for the Wooster Hope Center for their passionate spirit and collaborative nature.”
Direct Food Distribution programs typically receive 12,000 to 15,000 lbs. of food for distribution once a month at no cost to the host organization or recipients and provides nutritious fruits and vegetables to those in need. The Foodbank currently runs Direct Distributions in Carroll, Portage, Medina, Stark, Summit and Wayne counties.
“The Hope Center strives to find effective ways to fight hunger in Wayne County and collaborates with organizations that have the same desire,” said Pastor Richard Frazier, Executive Director of The Wooster Hope Center. “The Direct Food Distribution has been an effective partnership these past 5 years as the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank has provided Wayne County families over 1 million lbs. of food served by over 4,800 Wooster Hope Center volunteers! We would also like to express appreciation to Pete Armstrong and the Wayne County Fair Board for the use of the fairgrounds during this time.”
Recipients of food must bring identification, meet income and household eligibility criteria and sign a Self-Declaration of Need form. To qualify, recipients’ gross household income must be at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guideline; for a family of four that’s $48,600 a month. If you have any questions regarding a Foodbank Direct Distribution, please contact the Network Partners & Programs Department at 330.535.6900.