The Wooster Hope Center is a dedicated partner serving rural families in Wayne County. Celebrating 10 years of service last year, the program has grown exponentially and continues to find innovative ways to offer help to residents.
The pantry originated as a hygiene pantry. A few months into serving the community, the founding members realized food was also a necessity. “We wanted to be a part of the solution,” said founding member and Executive Director Richard Frazier.
Soon, the Wooster Hope Center partnered with the Foodbank to offer a Direct Distribution (DD). DDs distribute large quantities of fresh, perishable food to communities in need. Because of the generosity of Foodbank donors, the transportation and cost of food is free for the food program.
Feeding the community became the primary focus of Wooster Hope Center. The organization opened a food pantry and hot meal program. It also serves vulnerable residents, children and senior citizens, through backpacks of food distributed to 13 elementary schools each month, and shelf-stable, nutritious food boxes for seniors on a limited income.
“We’ve seen a big change from when we opened to now. More and more seniors are on fixed incomes and are having a difficult time making ends meet. We need to focus more on them right now and figure out a better way to serve them.”
And the Wooster Hope Center plans to do just that with its new mobile pantry. Richard realized acquiring a vehicle of their own could help them access communities in need more easily. The pop-up pantry plans to visit assisted living centers, lowincome housing for seniors, etc. to meet people where they are, overcoming the obstacle of transportation.
And because of the waiver on all cost sharing fees last year, the organization was able to make capital improvements to its facility.
“The Foodbank has blessed us with free food in 2021, and that, partnered with generous local support from donors, has afforded us the opportunity to get a new roof, garage door, repair our dock and add solar panels, and we are very thankful for that!"