LorMet Credit Union donates $35,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank

A local credit union gave the county's food bank a financial boost going into the holiday season. LorMet Community Federal Credit Union donated $35,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio on Tuesday. The funds were raised during the credit union's 10th annual member match campaign, according to a news release. The donation came as need in the counties served by the food bank has surged. In the first five days of the month, the nonprofit saw a nearly 50 percent increase in the number of households it served compared to the same time last year. That increase was driven, in part, by distributions to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds, which were delayed for November due to the federal government shutdown. The Ohio Capital Journal reported Monday that benefit recipients could expect funds to start flowing into their accounts midweek. Some 42 million Americans, including about 34,000 Lorain County residents, receive SNAP benefits. The majority of recipients are children, elderly or individuals with disabilities. "Our first campaign for Second Harvest in 2016 was initiated from a shared commitment to support families in our communities," Daniel Cwalina, LorMet president/CEO, said in a news release. "This year, with many local households feeling an even greater strain, that commitment feels more important than ever. Asking for member donations without contributing ourselves didn't feel right back then, and it still doesn't, so we chose to match contributions to strengthen our collective impact." Second Harvest President and CEO Julie Chase-Morefield thanked the credit union for its contribution. "Local families can find comfort knowing they'll have the food they need this holiday season," she said in the release. "With the effects of the government shutdown and persistently high food prices making it harder for many families in our community to put food on the table, their generosity couldn't have come at a more critical time." Since 2016, LorMet has donated more than $254,000 to Second Harvest, which serves families in Lorain, Erie, Crawford and Huron counties.