AVAILABLE TO ANYONE IN NEED

By CARL E. FEATHER - Staff Writer - cfeather@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

July 01, 2009 08:07 pm

— ASHTABULA — Pastor Pedro Hernandez, of the Pentecostal Tabernacle Church, 4438 Main Ave., feels his church is really blessed to be a part of the local food distribution process.
“This is what we should be doing for our community, according to the Bible,” Hernandez said Wednesday morning as he was filling boxes with produce. “It is a real blessing for us to help distribute food during these hard times.”
Through the Cleveland Food Bank and Country Neighbor program in Orwell, food distributions occur the first Wednesday of the month behind the church, in the parking lot, said Diana Bradbury, director of food operations at Country Neighbor.
“Last year, this was held at the Salvation Army on Lake Avenue, and now we are here,” Bradbury said. “This location is centralized with a large parking lot. It is easy to get in and out, and the seniors in the Towers can walk here.”
The food is available for anyone in need. The only requirement is to
take a moment and fill out a paper with the recipient’s name, address, signature and how many are living in the household, Bradbury said.
“The state pays for this food and gives it out as farm-market produce for distribution throughout the state of Ohio,” she said.
On the menu Wednesday morning were potatoes, apples, baby carrots, apples, watermelons and more, as people of all ages were busy filling bags and boxes.
The Pentecostal Tabernacle Church operates its own food pantry and distributes food to the public 4 to 7 p.m. the third and fourth Wednesdays of the month, said Sara Hernandez, church member.
Bradbury also said that GO Ministries, 3911 Cleveland Ave., will be distributing produce the last Tuesday of the month.

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