Community Action Agency bike shop closes, will become food pantry

The Lorain County Community Action Agency Bike Shop on West 10th Street in Lorain closed on Feb. 1. Tune and repair services at the shop stopped that same day, and the shop's inventory will be sold, donated or repurposed into other programs, according to the agency. The bike shop first opened in 2019. In a news release, LCCAA CEO Jackie Boehnlein said the bike shop was a "great resource for the community, but the pandemic has created training and operational issues that continue to be a challenge." The bike shop was going to stay open through the spring but instead closed Feb. 1 because of a lack of staffing. Its closing will make way for a new food pantry due to increased food insecurity in the community. "As an agency, we recognize as local need shifts, we need to shift too," Boehnlein said. "Prices keep creeping up. Making ends meet and putting food on the table is a new kind of difficult." Approximately 17,000 households in Lorain County receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits. LCCAA's 2022 Community Needs Assessment found 48 percent of those households include children and another 30 percent include seniors 60 or older. The federal government has rolled back emergency allotments put into place to help SNAP recipients through the pandemic. In Ohio, emergency allotments end after this month. Boehnlein said the retail space of the bike shop will be converted this summer by workers in the Youth Services program. The new pantry will focus on fresh produce and perishable items that community members may have trouble accessing or affording. Once the pantry opens, youth will receive paid work experience to fulfill food orders and provide curbside services. Youth services activities such as mentoring will continue on the upper floor of the building, known as the Ronald Nabakowski Youth Center. "When we opened in 2019, we envisioned the shop as a hub of workforce development and learning supports for youth age 15 to 24," Boehnlein said. "The pandemic has made it harder to find volunteers and staff, especially skilled staff, to train youth on bike repairs." "Whether fixing a bicycle for someone to pedal to work or packing much needed food for a household struggling to afford groceries, the intent of the Ronald Nabakowski Youth Center remains the same," she said. "It is a safe, empowering place that welcomes youth and allows them to give back." Anyone with questions regarding the bike shop may leave a message at (440) 204-3190. An agency employee will return calls.