Garrettsville – Last September the Weekly Villager put out a call for new leadership to take over the Nelson-Garrettsville Community Cupboard. That call went unanswered, but has recently been filled by a group of five individuals who will serve as executive directors of NGCC to keep the valuable service to our community up and running.
The community members who will be taking over the leadership role at NGCC will be Ted Lysiak, Chris Perme, Michelle Zivoder, Tracy Knauer, Kim Curry, Ben Coll, Sara Hill and Dee Synnestvedt. What promises to make this transition successful is that Michele Elias will be a part of the leadership team as a voting member of the executive board!
What was learned during this transition of leadership is that over the past seven years, the organization has grown into something that is far too large and complex to be run by only one person. The transition of leadership to a team of individuals should set NGCC up for a very sustainable future.
NGCC has certainly served a significant need in the James A. Garfield community. In the seven years they have been in existence, they have:
- Served 6,373 households
- Distributed over 210 TONS of food
- Provided 3,150 gallons of milk, bread and eggs through its grocery store voucher program
- Supplied 6,878 “Snack-Packs” to JAG school children
Currently, NGCC is located on Highland Avenue, but will be moving to the Garrettsville YMCA on Park Avenue beginning April 1, 2019. Rental fees for space at the YMCA will be covered through support of the Garrettsville Area Chamber of Commerce. NGCC will be open the first and second Monday of each month from 3pm-6pm and the first and second Wednesday of each month from 9am-noon. Current clients will be notified of the change in location when they visit the Cupboard in March.
In an effort to pull together community resources to better serve those in need, the Garrettsville Farmers’ Market will now operate under the NGCC umbrella. The efforts of the Farmers’ Market align perfectly with those of NGCC and the two organizations will work hand in hand to provide an even broader level of support to those in our community who are in need. The first fundraising effort to support both organizations will be a series of all-you-can-eat pancake breakfasts held at James A. Garfield Elementary School each Sunday in March (beginning March 10). The breakfast will run from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and will feature real maple syrup, and locally sourced sausage, pancakes and eggs. Tickets are $9 for adults, $5 for kids 12 & under and children under three eat free.
To ensure the continued success of the “Snack-Pack” program for the JAG school children, Michelle Herron and Michelle Gill will continue to spearhead this monthly project.
NGCC has planted some very deep roots in our community, nourishing hundreds of adults and children, and the ability to continue to carry out the vision established by Mike and Michele Elias is something our community should be proud of and excited about.
If you have questions or would like to volunteer, please contact NGCC at 330.527.2011 or via email info@ngccportage.org. The food cupboard’s website is www.ngccportage.org.
