Assisting those in need already tops the priority lists of several agencies and institutions scattered throughout the city, but that generosity is about to expand again.
A produce market aptly named, “Unity In The Community,” will debut April 9 at the York Road Recreation Field Pavilion specifically serving low-income qualifying older adults living in the community.
Though marketed to local senior citizens, the “Unity In The Community” North Royalton Produce Market will be available to anyone who meets the income criteria determined by the federal government poverty guidelines, said Denise Bobulsky, service/volunteer coordinator for Saint Albert the Great Parish. Bobulsky was instrumental in bringing the produce market to North Royalton, which now joins the list of other such locations set up throughout the region and designed by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.
A cooperative effort of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Saint Albert the Great, Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church, the City of North Royalton, Abundant Life Community Church and additional churches, the “Unity In The Community” North Royalton Produce Market will be conducted from 1-3 p.m. April 9, May 14, June 11, July 9, Aug. 13 and Sept. 10 at the York Road Recreation Field Pavilion, located at 14631 York Road.
A special ribbon-cutting ceremony and cooking demonstration will help kick off the inaugural produce market on April 9, along with decorative signage to help direct event-goers that day and the markets to follow. Participants are encouraged to sign up for their produce share in advance of the April 9 inaugural event, but visitors can sign up for the assistance program on-site that day as well, said Kathi Lacinski, food pantry coordinator for Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church. Seniors can call the North Royalton Office on Aging & Human Services at (440) 582-6333 to obtain more information and pre-register for the produce market.
The Greater Cleveland Food Bank will deliver roughly 2,500 pounds of produce for each monthly market, Bobulsky said, and partnering volunteers will sort and pack the seasonal fruits and vegetables, and other items if available, into paper bags for pick-up by qualifying participants. Participants will receive at least four different varieties of seasonal fruits and vegetables, and bread and milk if it is available. Each market will be staffed by volunteers who will assist shoppers and help deliver bagged items to their vehicles, if needed.
The need for such an initiative is very real in North Royalton, as close to 5,000 residents are living at or below the federal poverty level and more than 3,000 residents are covered by Medicaid, according to data published in March 2018 by The Center for Community Solutions and released by Bobulsky. These figures, officials say, have only increased in the last year.
“We see new people every year who request food baskets,” said North Royalton Mayor Robert Stefanik. “Every year there are new people so yes, there is definitely a need out there.”
Along with available city services, local churches partner throughout the year to assist those in need by offering events like a Community Meal and the distribution of food pantry items and holiday baskets containing the components of a traditional holiday meal. About 60 families, or the equivalent of roughly 200 people, come to Royal Redeemer each month for emergency food assistance, Lacinski said, and that figure fluctuates routinely. Leaders say the upcoming produce market is just one more way to partner for the greater good.
“It’s very nice to help eradicate a true need within the community,” Bobulsky said. “Everybody is excited about the market and we’re trying our best to get the word out so people know it is coming.”
Lacinski encourages participation from the many churches located in North Royalton.
“Any type of cooperative service gives us a wider scope of what our community’s needs are and how we can offer help,” she said. “This produce market is just another avenue of what we can offer together and how we can provide healthier food choices.”
By SARA MACHO HILL
Contributing Writer