MANSFIELD — Who could bring together Miss Ohio, local labor leaders and elected officials of all political persuasions in the pre-dawn hours Friday in downtown Mansfield.
Just one.
Doc Stumbo, AKA “The Mayor of Richland County.”
In this instance, the “A” stands for “affectionately” for the retired auto worker, UAW leader and longtime community activist who again united the community for the 23rd annual Make A Difference Day Food Drive.
The 88-year-old Stumbo deflected praise and credited residents for responding to the annual effort outside DLX next to Central Park.
“A lot of people are showing up, dropping stuff off. The weather is beautiful.
“The people of Richland County are great and they are giving. I figured they’d be tired of me asking for stuff,” he said with a laugh.
“But after 23 years, they keep coming and giving because they know there is a need for it and it really helps.”
The food drive benefits the food pantry at Catholic Charities, 523 Park Ave. East, and Wayfinders, 124 E. Third St., the community’s homeless shelter.
Donations included non-perishable food items and paper products. Also accepted were cash donations and checks made out to Catholic Charities/Hope Pantry or Wayfinders. Donations through credit/debit cards were also accepted.
(Below are photos from the 23rd annual Make A Difference Day Food Drive in downtown Mansfield. The story continues below the images.)
Key to the effort is the support of the aforementioned local labor unions.
“It’s great to see them,” Stumbo said. “They know how it is these days and how people need some stuff. They see it every day.
“They bring truckloads of food here today and checks and other stuff. They do a great job. We got truckloads of food here.”
Hank Webb, business manager and secretary-treasurer for Laborers’ Local 1216, praised Stumbo for the effort.
“Doc does a great job at this. His heart’s really in the community and our heart is in the community, as well. We’re your community members,” said Webb, whose local represents more than 540 men and women.
“You never know who is in need. It could be your next-door neighbor that you really don’t see the struggles that they have … maybe a short (pay) check that week. So being able to provide back to the neighbors and our friends and family that are around us is a big deal to us,” Webb said.
The food drive took place next to the Main Street Corridor Improvement project, an effort that has included Local 1216 members.
“Our members are very proud that we have had a chance to work on this Mansfield project and keep it moving in a timely manner,” Webb said.
“It’s just an honor to be able to pour back into our communities. Our men and women that drive these streets can tell their children, ‘Hey, we built that, we’ve done this.’ We’re really pleased with what’s going on.”
Jamie Hamilton, the new executive director of Wayfinders, has been busy in her first two weeks on the job. But she was at the event Friday.
“I just really just met Doc today … just this morning,” she said.
“Things like this (food drive) really are what keep us going. We offer three full meals every single day and snacks. Everything that you need to live … that is their home and right now we have 56 people in the shelter.
“We usually stay full, so this really is what keeps us going and able to do what we do,” Hamilton said.
She said the local homeless shelter at 124 W. Third St. will soon be moving into its new facility at 661 Park Ave. East.
“We’ll have some kind of occupancy by the end of this year. So we are super excited to be headed that way, going from 56 beds to 80 beds. We’re going to be able to help a lot more people and I think it’s evident that the need is there,” Hamilton said.
One of the biggest food donations early Friday came in the form of two truck loads from city of Mansfield workers through AFSCME Local 3088, which represents about 150 workers.
Union representative Roy Lambert said the workers felt it was important to help out the community.
“We just had a competition between people and they were excited about it and donated a lot,” Lambert said. “We wanted to be there for folks in need.”
Norm Shoemaker, president of the Mid-Ohio Area Central Labor Council of the AFL-CIO in Mansfield, said unions have been with Stumbo since the food drive began more than two decades ago.
“In the community right now, things aren’t going real good with the economy and everything. There’s a big need,” he said.
“Union jobs are the better jobs in the area and we just feel we owe it to the community to help out anytime we can,” Shoemaker said.
Stumbo is backbone of the effort.
“We help out, help Doc whenever we can. It’s important to give back to the community. The guys really stepped up this year,” Shoemaker said. “It’s great when everybody pulls together.”
Miss Ohio 2026 Lexie Miller from Newark was in attendance, as was Cassandra Kurek, a Wynford High School graduate who participated in the pageant this year as Miss Northern Ohio.
Kurek, a student at Ohio Northern University, hopes to compete in Miss Ohio again in 2027.
“I have known Doc since 2022 when I was Miss Ohio’s Outstanding Teen. (Then Miss Ohio) Caroline Grace Williams passed him off to me when I was crowned and said, ‘Here’s Doc. He’s gonna take you everywhere across Richland County. Hold on to him,” Kurek said.
“Four years later, anytime he reaches out about something, I move everything I can to be there for him,” she said.
“I drove home last night (from Ada) and I came here (this morning). I have to leave a little early to go back for my first class of the day,” Kurek said.
Miller said Stumbo makes things happen.
“He knows a lot of people. He just loves his community and he enjoys sharing that with everyone around him. So he will ask whoever to come and help and join him, which I think is awesome,” she said.
“Doc’s pretty cool. I had the pleasure of meeting him this year as Miss Ohio. He has been a great connection and a great friend to me,” Miller said.
