Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio

Who Can Visit?

Any household with an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level is welcome to receive food. You don't need to bring proof of income when you come to a distribution.

Good to Know

Distributions are drive-thru events held at community locations throughout the service area, not at this Baumhart Rd address. Before you head out, make sure your trunk is clean and clear so volunteers can load your box quickly. If you need to pick up food for another household, that person needs to fill out a Proxy Form in advance and you'll need to bring it to hand in at registration. The form is available in English and Spanish.

Food & Essentials

Each drive-thru distribution box contains a mix of shelf-stable food, frozen meat, dairy items, and fresh produce. Volunteers pack boxes with fresh produce, protein, and bread.

How to Pick Up

All distributions are drive-thru mobile pantry events where you stay in your car while volunteers load a box of food into your trunk. Monthly events are held at Oakwood Park and Black River Landing in Lorain, Willard Park and Recreation in Willard, and BGSU Firelands in Huron. Seasonal events take place at Lorain County Community College in Elyria. Check the Drive-Thru Mobile Pantry calendar for current dates, times, and locations.

Additional Support

Senior Box Program: Seniors who are 60 or older with an income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level (currently $23,940 annually for a single person) may qualify for a free monthly food box. Each box contains 30 to 40 pounds of nutritionally complete food including canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, beans, cereal, pasta, bottled juice, shelf-stable milk, canned meat, 2 lbs. of cheese, and fresh produce. Delivery is available throughout Lorain County and parts of Huron and Crawford counties for homebound seniors. To get on the waiting list, contact Erin Moore Ondich at (440) 960-2265 or emoore@secondharvestfoodbank.org.

SNAP Assistance: Second Harvest offers help with SNAP (food stamp) enrollment and applications.

Partner Pantries: Second Harvest works with over 130 partner charities including food pantries, hot meal programs, emergency shelters, and after-school programs across Crawford, Erie, Huron, and Lorain counties. To find a partner pantry or program near you, visit freshtrak.com.

Ways to Give

You can donate online to Second Harvest. Every $1 donated helps provide 6 meals. Second Harvest also accepts food donations from manufacturers, distributors, retailers, farms, and restaurants, including fresh produce, frozen items, meats, bakery items, personal care products, household items, and canned goods. To arrange a food donation, contact (440) 960-2265, x-309. You can also start a food drive or set up workplace giving.

How to Join the Team?

Volunteer roles include sorting and packing food in the RePack Room, assisting at drive-thru mobile pantry events, delivering Senior Boxes to homebound seniors each month, and helping maintain the gardens with the Gardening Corps from May through September. There's also a Little Sprouts program for children ages 5 to 11 that covers nutrition, hunger, and food bank education. Sign up for volunteer opportunities online. For the Little Sprouts program, contact Jenny Rivera at jrivera@secondharvestfoodbank.org.