Cuyahoga County has increased funding for emergency food assistance by $250,000 due to a significant increase in calls for service stemming from recent power outages, according to a news release.
Storm systems swept through Northeast Ohio on Aug. 6, leaving thousands of county residents without power for multiple days, resulting in the loss of refrigerators and freezers full of food, the release said.
Cuyahoga County will work with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank to replenish food lost in the outages, according to the release.
“We understand that many of our residents with low or no income were severely affected by the storms, losing a significant amount of food, and that efforts to mitigate the loss were further compounded by limited power and cell service,” said David Merriman, director of Cuyahoga County Health and Human Services, in the release. “This funding will allow us to speed up relief efforts and get families back on their feet.”
Additional county levy dollars were approved by the Board of Control for the United Way of Greater Cleveland Emergency Food Purchase contract, according to the release.
The emergency request is supported by data provided by the United Way Services of Greater Cleveland showing an upwards of 300% increase in food service requests because of the storms, the release said.
“We appreciate our partnership with Cuyahoga County,” said Kristin Warzocha, president and CEO of Greater Cleveland Food Bank, in the release. “These funds will help struggling families and seniors after the recent storms and power outages and be used to purchase and distribute additional healthy protein and dairy items, along with other nutritious food, to help our neighbors restock their refrigerators and freezers.”
The Food Bank locations can be found at https://www.greaterclevelandfoodbank.org/get-help/map.
To volunteer, advocate, or provide financial support to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, visit www.GreaterClevelandFoodBank.org.
Cuyahoga County also is working with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service on additional food replacement measures, the release said.