Editor’s note: This story is part of a series addressing the issue of food insecurity in Richland County. The series will continue throughout 2017 and feature interviews with those working to mitigate the problem and the obstacles they encounter.
MANSFIELD — There’s no shortage of Good Samaritans in Richland County.
I’ve believed this to be true for awhile, only to grow more entrenched in this notion after researching the many efforts in the area dedicated to helping hungry people.
Many have approached me, asking how they can be part of the solution to reduce food insecurity — the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food — in Richland County.
It’s encouraging. Everyone should know there are people striving to make a difference.
The problem is coming up with a solution is easier said than done. It’s like trying to untangle a 10,000-foot twinkle light strand that’s entwined in a tightly wound knot.
Fortunately, the complicated nature of this issue hasn’t deterred from people trying to fix it.
Among those solution-seekers is First Call 211. This collaborative partnership between the Mansfield Richland County Public Library and Richland County Job and Family Services provides information to the public and connects community members with services that meet their needs.
This free, confidential community service provides information on food pantries and community meals, housing/shelters, financial assistance, utility assistance, transportation options, state and local government offices, consumer protection/consumer education, seasonal assistance, abuse reporting, food/nutrition programs, and immunizations/health care and screenings.
First Call 211 information and referral coordinator Terry Carter said the organization fielded over 26,000 calls last year. In addition, about 350 to 400 people call monthly to hear 211’s automated message that says when and where the free community meals are offered that day. (To hear this message, call 2-1-1 and choose option 4).
First Call 211 compiles a free community meal calendar, as well as a list of local food pantries, farmers’ markets, and free produce distribution locations.
At first glance, it may seem as though Richland County is saturated with food pantries and free meal services. However, geographically, there’s a gap of services outside of Mansfield.
Below is the June 2017 free meal calendar compiled by First Call 211. It features 30 free meal locations. Twenty-three locations are in Mansfield (four being in Madison Township). Three locations are in Bellville, two are in Shelby, one is in Ontario and one is in Olivesburg (across from Crestview Schools).
It’s great to see this many services in Mansfield, the largest city in Richland County.
But look at what opportunities exist in communities like Butler, Lexington, Lucas, Plymouth and Shiloh, where there aren’t any free meal locations (listed on the calendar).
The July calendar is similar to June’s, showing that the large majority of meals are provided in Mansfield.
Here’s the May free meal calendar for reference.
It may not seem like a big deal to have limited services in the outlying Richland County communities, but for those who don’t have transportation, they’re out of luck.
Food insecurity can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, gender, or place of residence. According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap project, Richland County was home to 19,290 food insecure people, equating to 15.8 percent of the local population in 2015.
Database
Asked if there could be organizations that offer meals and aren’t on the calendar, Carter responded, “It’s possible.”
There is one known case with the group “People Helping People,” which provides lunch to folks in downtown Mansfield’s Central Park.
“That is one that we are aware of exists and it’s on our recorded message,” Carter said. “We indicate that there may be a meal today in downtown Mansfield on the square at 11 o’clock.
“They are not listed in the database because they are not a 501c3.”
She noted the group’s meals are coordinated via a Facebook page.
“It’s so fluid in their planning sometimes that I’m hesitant to put them on the calendar,” she said. “I don’t believe they have missed a day since they’ve picked up this particular service, which is why we put them on the recorded message, but we do phrase it as ‘there may be a meal,’ because it hasn’t been confirmed, per se.”
First Call 211 considers different aspects before placing a free meal location in its database.
“Obviously churches and faith-based services can be listed, but it also has to be something that’s open to everyone,” she said. “We would not list a meal at a particular church if it’s only for that particular church’s members.”
First Call 211 also considers if there are any strings attached to the meal.
“We have to look at the primary purpose of the service to make sure that it is a meal, because we typically do not catalog all the religious services that are in the community,” she said. “Historically, we have had an occasion of a church offering a meal, but then added the requirement that you had to attend a religious service, or had to be a member of the church.
“The idea was here’s a meal, but the intention was that you would then become a member of the church over the next few weeks. That was one that we ended up removing from the list because the underlying purpose was not an open and unrestricted public service.”
First English Lutheran Church
In contrast, First English Lutheran Church in downtown Mansfield has a worship service that prefaces its community meal, with optional attendance. The church doesn’t require people to attend the worship service in order to receive food.
Located at 53 Park Ave. W., First English Lutheran serves a fluctuating number, around 80 to 90 people, each Wednesday.
“We’ve been told that we are very welcoming and offer a well-balanced meal,” said Mary Schwartz, lunch coordinator for the church.
The church has been offering this service — which is funded through donations and grant funds — for about 25 years.
“It’s a way for us to build relationships with folks in the community,” said Associate Pastor Andy Jones. “We have a certain reputation in the community because of this meal and other things we do in the community.”
It’s become a trademark of sorts — people associate the meal with the church.
Jean Gall, of Mansfield, is a member of the church. She tries to come every Wednesday.
“We’re eating the best food you can get in Mansfield,” she said.
Food pantries
Here you’ll see information on the food pantries in Richland County, as noted by First Call 211. (Click on the PDF to see both sheets)
According to 211’s handout, Mansfield has 12 food pantries; Bellville, Lexington and Shelby each have two; and Lucas, Shiloh, Ontario and Olivesburg each have one.
Berean Baptist Church in Mansfield also has a food pantry that serves approximately 90 Richland County families a month. Food is delivered to the clients.
Central hub
“We would love to hear from any organizations that are doing services in their community that may not have thought to contact us, and we can work with them as to how they want to have their information in the database,” Carter said.
To see about having a food pantry or free meal site listed in the 211 database, call 419-522-4636.
“We try to be that central hub of information to help connect peer-to-peer organizations that are like-minded,” Carter said.
“For instance, if we should get a call from a church or an organization indicating that they’re interested in starting a food pantry or want more information about where gaps in services are, we would connect them to the other entities that are doing food pantries and suggest that they go spend some time to see how the different models are working to decide if they really have the wherewithal to be able to sustain the effort that they’re interested in.”
Sometimes it may be more beneficial for a small organization to partner with a larger, more established one, she indicated.
A group that may be new to food pantries could support one that currently exists by collecting food or providing volunteers during distribution.
“If you look at the resources geographically, there may be a need in the northern part of the county where people may have limited transportation. So, perhaps they either come down to a central distribution and take the food to an outlying area, or vice versa — they pick up individuals and bring them into the communities that are doing their distributions,” she said.
The opportunities are endless, but one thing’s for sure: we aren’t going to get far with helping our neighbors in need if we aren’t all on the same page and working collaboratively.
