Annual Report 2021

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ANNUAL REPORT | 2021

From Hungry to Hopeful Dear Friends of the Food Bank, At the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, so much of our work is measured in numbers. How many families did we serve last month? How many bags of food were we able to send home with kids at risk of hunger through our Backpacks for Kids program? How many miles did our drivers travel to deliver pallets of food to our partner agencies? How much fresh produce was distributed to our neighbors in need? How many pounds of nutritious food did we help rescue so that it landed on the dinner tables of families, instead of wasted? Numbers remind us that our work is changing lives for the better — that each day, we’re feeding more people and helping them to be food secure.

But it is about so much more than just numbers. So many people have stepped up in so many different ways to meet the challenges that have come our way. Grit. Resilience. Determination. These are the words that come to mind as we reflect on the past twelve months.

Despite the difficulties we’ve faced, nothing has deterred the passion of our donors, board members, volunteers, agency partners, and staff to rise up together in these challenging times.

With your help, the Food Bank distributed more than 53 million pounds of food – to over 343,000 people, and of those, more than 87,800 new people turned to the Food Bank and our more than 1,000 partners to receive food for the first time. Additionally, we connected 49,300 people to valuable resources beyond food, including SNAP and other public benefits. As you read through this report, know that we’re honored to do this work, serving families, children and seniors who are struggling to make ends meet, and we are incredibly grateful that your support allowed us to touch so many lives.

Generosity and compassion are trademarks of our community. Our 2021 Annual Report tells the stories of those we collectively helped along the way and the many faces who made this work happen. These people are representative of the hundreds of thousands of people who have had an impact on our work.

Together, we are creating a healthier community; one meal, one community, one delivery, one client, and one donation at a time. Thank you for your continued partnership.

Darnell Brown Board Chair

Kristin Warzocha President & CEO

Our Work In NORTHEAST OHIO

Serving Ashland, Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake & Richland Counties

QUICK FACTS • FISCAL YEAR 2021*

17%

Percentage of Population that is Food Insecure

343,000 Unduplicated People

Total Pounds of Food Distributed

16.3 Million Pounds of Food Rescued and Distributed to Families in Need

355,800 COVID-19 Disaster Relief Boxes and Assorted Produce/Dairy/Protein Boxes

1.1 Million Meals Distributed by the Food Bank Kitchen

87,800 People Seeking Food Assistance for the First Time

17.7 Million Pounds of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Distributed

85,500 Monthly Services through all of our Programs to Children

687 Advocacy Actions where Community Members Reached Out to Elected Officials

57,000 Monthly Services through all of our Programs to Seniors

53,000 Monetary Donors Made Up of Individuals, Foundations and Corporations

49,300 People Connected to SNAP, Other Benefits and Resources

Food Sources

Nutritious Food

Programs

457 Emergency Feeding Programs

16%

State of Ohio

336 Children’s Programs

32%

Donated

30% USDA

53.1M

77%

22%

Purchased

Healthy food provided, such as fruits, vegetables, proteins & whole grains

199 Senior and Adult Programs 22 Food As Medicine Partners

1,014 Total

* The Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s 2021 fiscal year was October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021.

OUR MISSION IS TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITIES HAS THE NUTRITIOUS FOOD THEY NEED EVERY DAY.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT:

Monroe Kidd

Monroe Kidd would never tell you this, but he was the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s 2021 Volunteer of the Year.

His humility, passion for service, and friendly nature all contributed to this recognition. Monroe has six years of volunteering experience and dedicates multiple evenings per week to the Food Bank, despite having a full-time job.

Last year, Monroe donated more than 250 hours of his time to support just about all of our project areas, including sorting and repacking donations, Muni Lot food distributions, and assembling donated hygiene and cleaning kits.

"It rejuvenates me," he said. "Every time I come here, I feel like I’ve accomplished something."

It has become a favorite part of Monroe’s routine. Once he closes down his work laptop for the day, he gets in his car and heads to the Food Bank.

The mission of the Food Bank is personal for Monroe. Growing up in Alabama, his family struggled financially and received support from a local hunger relief program. The generosity of others sustained his family during difficult times. Now, he’s committed to giving back.

People need food," he said. "They wouldn’t be waiting for hours in a line if they didn’t.

When people say thank you, you know they mean it.

Monroe said he hopes that everyone who needs food assistance will take advantage of the services the Food Bank has to offer. He said he worries that pride may prevent people from seeking help.

"Tough times could happen to anyone," he said. "If you feel like you need to give back, do it with your time and volunteer. The Food Bank is here to help you."

"Volunteers like Monroe are the backbone of the Food Bank, and there’s no way that we would be able to accomplish as much as we do without their support across all of our project areas," said Matt Jackson, our Volunteer Experience Manager. "Volunteers help us save over $1.9 million each year that we’re able to invest right back into supporting our programs."

For more information on how to get involved, visit greaterclevelandfoodbank.org/volunteer.

VOLUNTEERING BY THE NUMBERS

S T A T S

6,400 Volunteers 76,000+ Hours Total 92 Volunteers Contributed More Than 100 Hours Each

EMPLOYEES SPOTLIGHT:

Tim Floyd and Darryl Lurns Tim Floyd and Darryl Lurns are two of our 19 dedicated drivers that make up the Food Bank’s transportation team.

Combined, they have been with the Food Bank for a total of 47 years and have been along for the ride as the Food Bank has expanded its operations over the years to meet the need.

The Food Bank’s truck drivers are an integral part of the Food Bank’s operations. Drivers help ensure that everyone in our community has access to the nutritious food they need, regardless of weather, traffic jams, or even the pandemic. They are essential, and the Food Bank simply could not operate without them.

"It’s more than just a job," Darryl said. "It’s a great place to work. The Food Bank is a family."

As the Food Bank has grown, leadership has been careful to make sure employees have what they need to succeed in their job. From paying for CDL certification and training, to upgrading machines and trucks, the Food Bank works hard to take care of its team.

I can honestly say that I am very proud of the company I work for. I will be somewhere and someone will ask me where I work. I stick out my chest and say I work for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank!" Tim said, proudly laughing. "It’s going to take an act of Congress to get me to leave.

Each day, Tim and Darryl deliver healthy food to some of our 1,000+ partner agencies to be distributed throughout the community. Because the routes normally remain the same, drivers are able to build relationships with the staff and volunteers that run many of its partner agencies. "You get to know these people," Tim said. "They will come out and help you carry boxes. It is a team effort."

The Food Bank couldn’t serve the community without our fleet. The drivers deliver food and meals daily to our network of partners in all six counties we serve. They also help with our food rescue efforts, picking up from local retailers so healthy foods don’t end up in the dumpster. The next time you see a Greater Cleveland Food Bank truck on the road, know that it’s because of your support of our mission that we are able to make those important deliveries possible.

ON THE ROAD TO OUR COMMUNITIES

S T A T S

19 Trucks in the Food Bank Fleet 23,000+ Miles Driven Each Month on Average 31 Million Pounds of Food Delivered by Our Fleet

PARTNER AGENCY SPOTLIGHT:

Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry Rabbi Zalman and Rebbetzin Shula Kazen have been staples in the Greater Cleveland community for decades.

From serving Holocaust survivors in the 1950s, to providing free food and shelter to former USSR immigrants, to launching what is now known as the Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry, the Kazens have stepped up to meet the Jewish community’s needs.

Their deeply meaningful mission started small, with Sunday morning classes and free home-cooked meals. Over time, the numbers grew from ten people to fifty. When the Kazen’s daughter, Devorah, took over in the 1980s and expanded the mission into the Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry, the Jewish community felt the positive effects.

"Kosher is something for the soul," said Tamara Witkes, Pantry Director. "It’s more than just food. It nourishes the body and the soul."

Kosher is a term used to describe food that complies with traditional Jewish law. It can be difficult for people who eat Kosher to find accessible food at food pantries, so it is important that the Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry exists and thrives. Tamara is grateful for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank for helping it do just that.

We wouldn’t be here without the Greater Cleveland Food Bank – at least not to the level we are today.

Your funding, your support – it means everything.

Located in South Euclid, Kosher Food Pantry is one of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s 1,000+ partner agencies.

While the food pantry is Kosher, everyone is welcome to visit if they are in need of food. Last year, the pantry distributed more than 493,000 pounds of healthy foods, 75% of which was fresh produce.

Today, the Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry serves up to 5,000 clients a month. Tamara said she sees many of these clients return as volunteers once they are no longer in need of food assistance.

"There’s power behind what we do," Tamara said. "There’s love in it – more than anything."

The Greater Cleveland Food Bank is dedicated to providing more inclusive food options to our neighbors in need, thanks to your support. And, we are proud that because of our generous community and through our network of partners, we were able to make nearly 53 million meals possible last year.

THE WORK OF OUR NETWORK

S T A T S

1,000+ Partner Programs 14+ Different Types of Programs Serving Individuals, Kids, Seniors, and Families 1,200 Agency Orders Distributed Per Week

SHARING HER STORY:

Kimani Hobson Established in 2011 as a way to increase our service to the surrounding community, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s Help Center has become a stable source of assistance for many. Our Help Center and Outreach Teams assist thousands of clients each year with food, housing assistance, employment referrals, and more.

Kimani Hobson is one of the people who has benefited from the Help Center. A single mom with three young children, she is an entrepreneur, and a kind and energetic woman. Despite how hard she worked, Kimani still struggled to put food on the table in order to feed herself and her family. But, thanks to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Kimani doesn’t have to struggle anymore.

Kimani came to the Food Bank for the first time in 2019 for food assistance. She said the process was quick, easy, and comfortable. "I hopped on a call, we talked about my needs, and that was that," she said.

In our service territory, one in six people is food insecure, meaning they may not know where their next meal will come from. Of those, one in five are children who are food insecure.

The Food Bank’s mission is to ensure everyone has the nutritious food they need, but it’s important to go beyond that. Often, other needs, such as employment and health challenges, go hand in hand with food insecurity, Kimani knows this well: In addition to helping her file a SNAP application, the Food Bank also gave her food, employment referrals, a car seat, clothing, and personal care items.

This experience has been so positive and has helped my family in so many ways.

Lisa Laditka, Help Center Manager, said it is important to dig a little deeper. "What we know is this: food insecurity does not exist in a vacuum," she said. "Last fiscal year, we assisted nearly 26,000 people with SNAP applications."

Lisa said she loves serving in a job where she can truly make a difference in the life of an individual. "It’s called the Help Center for a reason: we are here to help."

If you or someone you know needs assistance, please call our Help Center at 216.738.2067.

MORE THAN FOOD

S T A T S

SNAP

49,300 Connected SNAP, Other Benefits and 31,000+People Calls to Our Help to Center Resources Through Our Help Center 49,300 People Connected to SNAP, Other Benefits and 31,000+ Calls to OurOur Help Center Resources through Help Center 2,300 2,300Deliveries Deliveriesto toSeniors Seniorsand andthe theHomebound Homebound made by Food Bank Staff

Accomplishments The Food Bank is proud to share the impact you helped make possible in 2021. With your support, we met our annual goals and completed our 2019-2021 Strategic Plan.

CONTINUED PANDEMIC RESPONSE The effects of the pandemic sent an increased number of children, families, seniors, and individuals to the Food Bank for emergency food assistance — many of them for the first time. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank was beyond grateful to the Ohio National Guard and Reserves who served from March 23, 2020 through July 2, 2021. Their service allowed the Food Bank to distribute food at a high level until we could safely welcome our volunteers back. We will always be grateful for their leadership and work ethic.

With the support of volunteers and the National Guard, our team continued to provide food at weekly drive-thru distributions at the City of Cleveland Municipal Lot, with an average of 2,100 households served a week. Over 80 distributions have been held since the beginning of the pandemic through the end of September 2021.

The Food Bank and its partners also helped people access food assistance by continuing drive-thru distributions and home deliveries, and by being creative with how we safely served our communities. With the help of staff and volunteers, more than 2,300 services were provided through home deliveries and a walk-up service at the Food Bank facility.

AGENCY CAPACITY-BUILDING GRANT Thanks to your support, the Food Bank was able to launch a capacity-building grant opportunity for our network of partner agencies. Through this grant, agencies could acquire items like refrigerators and freezers, shelving, and pallet jacks, all with a goal of helping them serve more people.

I can’t tell you what a blessing the capacity grant was to our shelter. Now we have commercial refrigerators and freezer units for both floors!” said Kelly Blankenship, Harmony House Homeless Services, Inc., in Mansfield, Ohio. “Prior to the new units, we had to turn away donations from others of fresh and frozen foods because we had inadequate capacity.

We know the effects of the pandemic will last years. Your generosity has allowed the Food Bank to be flexible and creative as we continue to meet the need. Your support means so much to the people and families we serve.

PANDEMIC RESPONSE

S T A T S

355,000+ Emergency Boxes Including Shelf-Stable Food and Fresh Produce Distributed 134,800 Hours Contributed by the Ohio National Guard 165 Partner Agencies Received Capacity-Building Grants

BUILDING FUTURE CAPACITY When the Food Bank was honored with an extraordinary gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, a board-level transformational gift committee was established to consider the potential opportunity of the contribution and impact on our community and our work long into the future. After careful planning, members of our board and community leaders determined the best use of these dollars. We will: • Innovate new solutions and programming designed to create efficiencies in the hunger relief system to ultimately serve clients better, reducing food insecurity in the long run.

• Invest in the capacity of our network of 1,000+ partners and provide grants that focus not only on distributing more healthy foods, but also on underserved communities and communities facing disparities.

• Reduce handling fees on donated product for our partner agencies to help ensure that, regardless of location or budget size, they have access to the nutritious food their clients need.

• Develop future hunger relief leaders, including hiring a new Advocacy Fellow and launching a paid internship program.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION The Food Bank has made diversity, equity, and inclusion strengths of our organization. The DEI Council, made up of Food Bank staff leaders, developed a detailed three-year plan to include: • Revising our recruitment plan to have the most diverse candidate pool possible • Providing advocacy and education resources about systemic racism for staff • Ensuring equal pay for equal work for all employees, including an annual analysis of gender and ethnicity wages The Food Bank is the proud recipient of two awards highlighting our DEI efforts: Northcoast 99, an annual recognition that honors top work places in Northeast Ohio (fifth year in a row!), and the Best in Class Award for Workforce Diversity, received from the Equity & Inclusion Division of the Greater Cleveland Partnership for the second consecutive year. We will continue to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion as we make strategic decisions.

Vontrice Jones, DEI Council Chair & Kristin Warzocha accept the Best in Class Award for Workforce Diversity.

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Left: repack center; Right: warehouse & docks; Bottom: front of building exterior.

Expansion Project In 2018, our board of directors and staff started planning for the future and the Food Bank’s ability to meet the hunger relief needs of our community. At that time, we knew as an organization that we needed to expand.

Even pre-pandemic, more and more people were turning to us and our network of partners for help, and then the effects of the pandemic created an urgency that we have never seen before. For the past several years, we have been running out of storage space and have had to turn away food donations. We have a responsibility to not only continue to expand our clients’ access to healthy food, but also create space to help our clients address the root causes of food insecurity. Our expansion plans will help do just that.

In April of 2021, after many months of planning, we broke ground on a new Community Food Distribution Center on Coit Road in the Collinwood neighborhood, just five minutes from our current facility on South Waterloo Road. This new facility will be 197,000 square feet and will include more storage and distribution space for both perishable and non-perishable food, a state-of-the-art kitchen four times its current size so that we can expand our programming to provide healthy meals to seniors and children, additional workspace for volunteers and staff, and improved access for our network of partners. Our goal is to move during the summer of 2022.

Once we are up and running in our new distribution facility, our building on South Waterloo Road will be transformed into a client-focused space to serve as a "one-stop shop" with access to food and multiple social services under one roof, including a client-choice food pantry. We know that so many who receive food from the Food Bank struggle with issues related specifically to employment, housing and healthcare. We plan to work with some of Northeast Ohio’s most impactful service providers to assure our clients have access to resources that will ultimately move them to a more food secure future.

This is a truly transformational project, supported by so many, and will have a lasting impact on Northeast Ohio and the clients we serve. We will keep you updated!

Our Board of Directors Board Chair Darnell Brown,

Retired, City of Cleveland

Vice Chair Ann Aber

Directors Kristen Baird Adams PNC

Medical Mutual of Ohio

John Cymanski

Vice Chair Riddi Kline

Heinen’s Grocery Store

Vic DiGeronimo, Jr.

Provencal Partners

DiGeronimo Companies

Vice Chair Howard Lewis

Karen Dolan

Retired, Family Heritage Life Insurance

Community Volunteer

Tricia Eschbach-Hall

Vice Chair Maria Spangler

Jones Day

Secretary Joe DiRocco

Asmita Shirali Goldblum

Sherwin-Williams Company

Trina Evans KeyCorp

Retired, Amin, Turocy, and Watson

Fifth Third Bank

Treasurer Matthew Mueller

Manisha Sethi

Jeneen Marziani

Allen Smith

Giant Eagle, Inc.

Ahuja Foundation

Bank of America

Loren Chylla

JoAnn

Mike Maraldo

Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio

Stephen McHale

Janet Rosel Smith

Unify Labs

Tilman (Tom) Moe

Retired, Progressive

Jeffery K. Patterson

Retired, The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

Gregory Stefani

Nestlé

Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority

Jenner Tekancic

Dr. David Rosenberg

Cleveland Browns

University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center’s Lung Center

Life Director Anthony C. Rego

Dan Saltzman

Retired, Giant Eagle, Inc.

Dave’s Markets

President & CEO Kristin Warzocha

Chloe Seelbach

Community Volunteer

As of June 3, 2022. For a full staff list, visit GreaterClevelandFoodBank.org/Staff.

Western Reserve Partners

Financials FY21EXPENSES EXPENSES FY21

FY21REVENUE REVENUE FY21 2.7%

1.9%

2.3%

3.2%

0.3%

19.7% 33.5%

3.7% 7.3% 47.9% 8.0%

66.8%

2.9%

Value of Food Contributed

79,216,651

47.9%

Contributions and Grants*

55,374,113

33.5%

Capital Campaign Funds**

13,219,265

8.0%

Government Reimbursements & Administrative Fees

4,762,379

2.9%

Member Agency Fees

4,451,172

2.7%

Purchased Food Programs

3,164,569

1.9%

All Other

5,319,193

3.2%

TOTAL

$165,507,342

Value of Food Distributed

76,252,632 66.8%

Programs

22,485,783 19.7%

Purchased Food Program

8,283,343

7.3%

Fundraising

4,256,124

3.7%

Administrative Costs

2,595,812

2.3%

286,546

0.3%

Volunteer Services & Product Resource Development

TOTAL

$114,160,240

Fiscal year is 2021: October 1, 2020 - September 30, 2021. * Generous community support, including a transformational gift of $25M from MacKenzie Scott, and the resulting surplus, is being used to cover the costs of our five-year COVID relief plan (estimated at a cost of $25M) as well as to build long term capacity to provide more nutritious meals and address hunger in the future. ** During 2021, $13M was raised towards our goal of $78 million for the capital expansion project.

View our Annual Report and a complete list of our donors and audited financials at GreaterClevelandFoodBank.org/AR2021.

Click on the lists below to view our financials, and the many generous donors, partners and team members who made our work possible in FY21.

MEMORIAL/HONOR TRIBUTES DONORS

TOMORROW’S HARVEST MEMBERS

FOOD DONORS

UNITED WAY DONORS

FOOD DRIVE HOSTS & SUPPORTERS

VOLUNTEER GROUPS

HARVEST OF HOPE DONORS

100 PLUS HOURS VOLUNTEERS

MONETARY DONORS: CORPS/ORGS/FOUNDATIONS

STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES

MONETARY DONORS: INDIVIDUALS

PARTNER PROGRAMS & AGENCIES

MONTHLY DONORS

STAFF LEADERSHIP

*Ohio Association of Food Banks is a funding entity.

Need help? Interested in donating, volunteering or advocating?

Visit GreaterClevelandFoodBank.org Member of: