Second Harvest Food Bank kicks off Harvest for Hunger campaign

LORAIN — For thousands of residents in Lorain, Crawford, Erie and Huron counties, food insecurity is a real concern. Standing on stage, Nordson Corp. President/CEO Sundaram Nagarajan noted one in six children face hunger, and Ohio ranks 10th in the country for food insecurity. But Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio's Harvest for Hunger campaign hopes to fill in those gaps. The effort, which hopes to raise food and funds for at least 3 million meals, kicked off Thursday at the Nordson Distribution Facility at Second Harvest Food Bank. Outside of the 3 million meal effort, Nordson Corp. presented Second Harvest Food Bank President/CEO Julie Chase-Morefield with a check for $500,000. "The company is really proud to get this whole campaign kicked off with a lead gift of $500,000," said Nagarajan, this year's honorary campaign chair. "I think we're proud to inspire others to join and help make (the campaign) an even greater success because we do believe the need is going to be tremendous. We as a community need to come together and make this happen." Those funds will help fill what Chase-Morefield predicts will be a roughly 30 percent spike in need now that pandemic-fueled expansions to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits have ended. The Lorain Lions Club also donated $500. In March 2020, the federal government expanded SNAP benefits to the maximum allotment for individuals and families, but those allocations returned to normal Wednesday. "This campaign is critical to helping us be able to meet that need going forward," Chase-Morefield said. Nordson Corp. has a 40-year history of addressing food insecurity in Northeast Ohio, founding the Lorain County Community Cupboard in the 1980s, which gave way to Second Harvest Food Bank. Beyond the company's financial commitment is its employees' volunteerism year after year, Nagarajan noted. In a video for the campaign kickoff, Nordson retired Executive Vice President Doug Bloomfield and his son, Ryan, both talked about their time working for Nordson and volunteering at Second Harvest. It's a tradition that started when Ryan Bloomfield was a child and has continued on as he's followed in his father's footsteps at the manufacturing company. For Chris-Ann Hakeman with Christ's Community Meals at First Presbyterian Church in Huron, the need her group serves is great, but its volunteers' passion is greater. She said 13 years ago, God began nudging her to cook, and the next day she was on the phone with Second Harvest to partner with the food bank. Christ's Community Meals serves lunches every Monday and dinners the second and fourth Wednesdays. Last year, the band of 15-30 volunteers served 11,461 people, and — like Second Harvest — expects to serve more as inflation continues to rise and SNAP benefits decrease. "I understand this year is going to be hard, but with Second Harvest, we can do anything," Hakeman said, pledging to stop hunger in her community, one person at a time. The Harvest for Hunger campaign runs through the end of May. For more information or to donate, visit secondharvestfoodbank.org. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.