Get involved in the Neighborhood Food Drive!

November 27, 2018

Last year (2017/2018) featured the most participating block clubs (8): Auburn-Lincoln Park, Central Tremont, Duck Island, Holmden-Buhrer-Rowley/Mentor-Castle-Clark, Irishtown Bend, Metro North, and North of Literary  – up from four (4) in 2014 – and were joined by a Tremont West staff team.  Last season’s holiday food drive featured the most canned goods, paper products and check donations collected  – the equivalent of 27,197 items (or $10,275 in cash/checks and 2,281 food items)! For the purposes of last year’€™s competition, which brought in more check donations than ever before, each dollar donated by check was considered equivalent to two items (for example a $50 check donation was considered to be 100 items of canned goods).
Last year, donations were taken to the food pantries at St. Augustine, Pilgrim, St. Michael, Westside Catholic Center in December – and late December donations were delivered in January, 2018 to all 8 food pantries to help re-stock for the new year.
Here’s How to Donate and the Guidelines for this Season’s Holiday Food Drive:
Items Needed: Canned goods, nonperishable boxed food items, paper products (toilet paper, paper towels, napkins)
Counting: Food and paper products are counted individually – unless they are cellophane wrapped and sold as a set (example a four-pack of paper towels) is counted as one item not four. Canned goods and individually wrapped paper products count as one item each.
Cash/Checks: You may also donate by cash/check if you prefer. Checks must be made out to the food pantry of your choice – however, to count in the competition, for verification purposes, checks must first be delivered to the block club food drive coordinators, or to the Tremont West offices (2406 Professor) – who will deliver them to the respective food pantries.
Drop-off points: Block club members can deliver food/paper products to their block club food drive coordinators:
Auburn-Lincoln Park: Jonathan Petrea (jpetrea@gmail.com) and Patti Choby (pchoby@cobaltgroupinc.com)
Central Tremont: Julie Goulis (jgoulis@gmail.com) and Jeff Buysse (jtbuysse@gmail.com)
Duck Island: Rich Clark (rclark@jcu.edu) and Elaine Borawski (eabprchn@gmail.com)
Holmden-Buhrer-Rowley: Angelica Pozo (earth.angelpozo@gmail.com)
Irishtown Bend: Marcy VanderTuig (marcy.vandertuig@gmail.com)
Mentor-Castle-Clark: Josh Wright (jwright.cle@gmail.com)
Metro North: Maryann Balog (thegodfather3977@sbcglobal.net) and Angela Guy (a1m2guykaz@att.net)
North of Literary: Deane Malaker (mmda.226@gmail.com)
South of Jefferson: Cynthia Chiplis (cynthiachpls8@gmail.com), Kate Carden (kalexcar@gmail.com), and Tom Tosuksri (Pahniti.tosuksri@gmail.com)
Canned goods and checks can also be dropped off at the Tremont West offices – 2406 Professor – Monday – Friday during regular business hours. ***Items dropped off at Tremont West must include the name of the block club for them to count towards the block club’s totals***
Deadlines: For delivery before the holidays, items must be turned in by Friday, December 14th. A second delivery will be made in mid-January, 2019 for items donated after Dec.14th. (NOTE: The Tremont West offices are closed December 22nd  – January 1st and will reopen on Wednesday, January 2nd). Deliveries during that time can only be made to your block club  coordinators and not to the Tremont West office.
Three competitions this year:
Canned Goods & Non-Perishable Boxed Food Items and Paper Products – the block club collecting the most items in this category receives a $50 prize donation to their block club treasury/account
Cash and Check Donations (dollar for dollar) – the block club collecting the most money also receives a $50 prize donation to their block club treasury/account  – and
Grand Prize Winner – the block club’s cash & check donations are doubled (ex: $50 turns into 100 items) and canned goods and non-perishable items collected are added (ex: $3,000 in checks/cash becomes 6,000 items + 500 canned goods = 6,500 items) – winning block club in this category receives a prize of a $100 donation to their block club treasury/account.
Most important of all is the goal: lending a helping hand to neighbors – families and children – in need in Tremont, Duck Island, and Irishtown Bend – and providing help to support the outstanding work of eight Cleveland food pantries-ministries St. Augustine Church, Pilgrim Congregational Church UCC, Immanuel Lutheran Church, St. John Cantius Church, St. Michael Church,  St. Malachi Church, Greater Cleveland Foodbank, and Westside Catholic Center – who get nutritious food to children and families all year long!
Many thanks to all of you for your incredible kindness and generosity to the food pantries and to our near west Cleveland neighbors in need! We look forward to your continued support and generosity in 2018/2019!
For more information, contact your block club food drive coordinators or Scott Rosenstein (scottrosenstein@tremontwest.org – 216.575.0920 ext. 106) & Dharma Valentin (dharmavalentin@tremontwest.org – 216.575.0920 ext. 102) at Tremont West.