Wind chills force food distribution closures, new location

Bitter wind chills forced more than just local school districts to close this week. Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio canceled four mobile pantry distributions across its four-county service area, President/CEO Julie Chase-Morefield said Wednesday. The last distribution it held in Lorain County was Jan. 14 at Brookside High School, which saw snow and ice build up on equipment while volunteers and staff worked to keep the distribution going. The drive-thru distributions, which started during the pandemic and have continued due to demand, require volunteers to stand outside for about three-and-a-half or four hours, Chase-Morefield said. It is not a matter of finding volunteers to stand outside, she said, as many of them will show up rain, ice, snow or shine, but there is a concern about their safety. Wind chills are more than just uncomfortable; they are dangerous. Prolonged exposure to negative wind chills can cause frostbite within 20 minutes, according to the National Weather Service, and hypothermia can occur in 30 to 50 degree weather, especially if a person or their clothing is wet. "We know there's always a high need for food this time of year, but weather plays a factor in our ability (and) our food pantries' ability to get that food to neighbors," Chase-Morefield said. Often, Second Harvest uses local schools for its distributions, and when those districts close for weather, their sites are not readily available. Like Second Harvest, Christian Temple Disciples of Christ pastor Chris Francis was forced to cancel the West Fifth Street church's pantry Tuesday due to the cold. The church's policy is based on whether the school district takes a calamity day, he said. Knowing many of the attendees at its hot meals and pantry are nearby residents who walk to the church, Francis said closing is often a last resort and he often reaches out to regular clients to provide food boxes outside regular distribution hours to meet individuals' needs. "It's not just about distributing food," Francis said. "What I noticed is that it creates a sense of community and dignity for everyone involved. People look forward to our pantry because they'll see friendly faces, commune with those they recognize and it's a communal bonding experience." Through a partnership with the county, Second Harvest plans to have a drive-thru pantry at the Lorain County Solid Waste District Recycling Center at 540 S. Abbe Road in Elyria 2-4 p.m. Feb. 5. For more information about that distribution, or other local pantries, visit secondharvestfoodbank.org. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.