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Service organizations encourage Canfield helping Canfield
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.Members of the Canfield High School Leos Club sorted the non-perishable and household items they collected for families in need at St Paul’s Monastery on Nov. 19.
By ABBY SLANKER
The Canfield Lions Club teamed up with the Canfield High School Leos Club to collect donation bags full of canned foods and household supplies in neighborhoods around Canfield on Nov. 8. The two service groups distributed the donation bags to homes and returned a week later to collect the full bags.
Leos Club members prepared the grocery bags, which were donated by Rulli Brothers, for distribution. A letter was attached to each bag asking for a donation and leave it on their porch to be picked up, or bring the filled bags to either of the Canfield fire stations. Residents could also make a monetary donation.
“Members of the Leos Club prepared and helped deliver the more than 4,200 bags to Canfield residents. They, and members of the Lions Club, distributed the bags to every house,” said Canfield Lions Club and Knights of Columbus member Andy Skrobola.
Representatives from the Leos Club sorted the items for families in need at St Paul’s Monastery, for the 14th year, on Nov. 19.
“All too often, kids are asked to help with something without seeing the results of their efforts. Today, the Leos get to see what has come of volunteering their time to help those in need, by seeing all this food and all these boxes filled up,” Skrobola said.
In addition to the Canfield Lions Club and the CHS Leos Club, the Canfield Knights of Columbus, Canfield Community Care Net, Canfield Local Schools, Cardinal Joint Fire District, Canfield Police Department, and new this year, Rotary Club of Canfield and Canfield Kiwanis partnered together to make sure those in need had enough food for the Thanksgiving holiday.
“The Rotary Club of Canfield donated coats and jackets for the children of families in need and the Canfield Kiwanis cooks meals for families and delivers them to their house,” Skrobola said.
According to Skrobola, the 70 families, with more than 300 individuals, also receive a food certificate to buy perishable foods.
“On top of the non-perishable food the families receive, each family is presented with a $50 food certificate, provided by Canfield Community Care Net, to buy perishable foods. The Lions Club provides a turkey for each family at Thanksgiving, with Knights of Columbus providing a ham for each family at Christmas. In addition, each family is provided another food certificate from Canfield Community Care Net at Christmas and a $50 or $75 certificate is provided for each child in a family so no child has to go without Christmas gifts,” Skrobola said.
„ÄÄAccording to Skrobola, while members from each group are instrumental in making this process a reality, it would not work without the CHS Leos.
“The Leos program starts at the Canfield Village Middle School with Mike Kerensky, who started the Leos Club there. The kids here today and all members of the CHS Leos are a product of that program, and with about 100 kids in the high school Leos, we owe a lot to Mike, who instilled a sense of community in these students at a young age,” Skrobola said.
Phil Bova and Candice Reed, Canfield High School guidance counselor, serve as volunteer coordinators of the high school Leos Club.
Claire Glove, vice president of Canfield Community Care Net, said the organization is excited to participate in the program again this year and would like to reach out to the non-school population.
“We love helping with this program. It is such a great coordinated and group effort. We are able to identify families in need with help from the school district, but we could use some help with the non-school population. Please contact us at 330-207-6733 or e-mail support@canfieldcommunitycarenet.org if you would like to be on our list for Christmas. We help families in need all year round, too,” Glove said.
Any leftover non-perishable food and household items will be donated to Operation Blessing in Canfield and Big Reach in Greenford.
Skrobola said all the organizations working together is what makes this project happen.
“As far as I know, there is nothing like this anywhere. This is community taking care of community. It has gotten bigger and better over the years and it is a matter of everyone doing their part. It is Canfield helping Canfield,” Skrobola said.