43
Community groups partner to help those in need
Photo
Neighbors | Abbey Slanker.Helping to distribute Thanksgiving food to those in need included (front) Olivia and Mary Buehler; (back), from left, Tami Buehler, Brother Paschal of Knights of Columbus St. Paul’s, Victor Buente of Knights of Columbus, Ray Multari of Knights of Columbus, Jim Krivanek of Knights of Columbus and Andy Skrobola of Canfield Lions Club and Knights of Columbus.
Photo
Neighbors | Abby Slanker.The basement of St. Paul’s Monastery was filled with donated non-perishable food items and household items which were distributed to those in need for the Thanksgiving holiday.
By ABBY SLANKER
Thanks to a combined community group effort, several families in the Canfield community were able to enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner this year. The Canfield Knights of Columbus, Canfield Lions Club, Canfield High School and Canfield Village Middle School Leo Clubs, Canfield Community CareNet, St. Michael’s youth members, Canfield Fire and Police Departments and Canfield Local Schools partnered together to make sure those in need had enough food for the Thanksgiving holiday Nov. 23.
The process started in October with the Lions distributing grocery bags to every residence in Canfield, with a letter attached asking for a donation of non-perishable food items and household items. The letter asked the residents to fill the bag and leave it on their porch to be picked up Nov. 2, or bring the filled bags to either of the Canfield fire stations. Residents could also make a monetary donation.
Canfield High School Leo Club members prepared the grocery bags, which were donated by Rulli Brothers, for distribution and helped the Lions Club members deliver them to the residents.
“Members of the Leo Club helped deliver the more than 3,000 bags to city residents. Before they delivered them, about 70-75 kids stayed after school and stapled the letters to each bag and divided them into the 32 delivery routes. The next week, they rode with members of the Lions Club to pick up the bags off the porches. They were our little feet. They did the running for us,” said Phil Bova, advisor of the high school Leo Club.
Bova had high praise for the members of the Leo Club and Candice Reed, Canfield High School guidance counselor.
“I am overwhelmed by the quality of the kids in this club. They are great kids. Without them, we would be in trouble. There’s no way we could do this without them. And Candice Reed is instrumental. She oversees everything,” Bova said.
According to Andy Skrobola, the families also receive a $50 food certificate to Rulli Brothers.
“Each family is presented with a $50 food certificate to Rulli Brothers to buy perishable foods. The food certificates are provided by Canfield Community CareNet with a little help from Rulli Brothers. Rulli Brothers is a great community and family company. They are a big participant in this endeavor,” Skrobola said.
Families also were given a frozen turkey when they picked up their food.
“Families pick up their food items and turkey, provided by the Lions Club and Rulli Brothers, the Saturday before Thanksgiving and then they can come back and get more food and a ham, provided by the Knights of Columbus, the Saturday before Christmas,” Skrobola said.
For the 14th year, St. Paul’s Monastery, let the groups use their basement to sort and distribute the food.
According to Skrobola, members from each group are instrumental in making this process a reality.
“Jim Duncan, a 26-year member of the Canfield Lions Club, is the motivator and mover of the Lions. He has a real desire to see this project fly. Victor Buente, of the Knights of Columbus, is one of the originators of this project and every year from the beginning members have participated. Not only does the Knights of Columbus provide the hams for this project at Christmas, but they also give 40 hams to the rescue mission, 40 hams to the Salvation Army and 40 hams to the soup kitchen. And Canfield Community CareNet will provide $75 gift certificates at Christmas for each child under 18 in each family,” Skrobola said.
Skrobola also stressed the importance of all the help provided by the youth from the Leo Club and St. Michael’s Church.
“Somebody’s got to be there to carry on. When young people have experience helping people, they tend to show up every year,” Skrobola said.
Both Skrobola and Bova touted the hard work of Mike Kerensky with the CVMS Leo Club.
“Mike starts it out with the middle school kids and primes them and then funnels them to us at the high school. We would not have the quality of kids that we have in the Leo Club if not for him,” Bova said.
Skrobola said all the organizations work together to make this project happen.
“What’s attractive about this project is that it is a community effort. You can sense that. You cannot find groups like this in many communities. We all work together and that’s what makes it fly,” Skrobola said.