Market at the Food Bank's 20th Anniversary

It's springtime. For most of us that means stashing our winter sweaters and boots, popping a few Zyrtecs and heading to the weekend farmers market. But for a sixth of Northeast Ohioans spring is a time of hunger.

Enter Harvest for Hunger, an annual program started by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank to combat food insecurity in Northeast and north central Ohio.

"Typically the Greater Cleveland Food Bank serves those in need in six Northeast Ohio counties: Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Ashtabula, Ashland and Richland counties," says Kellie Biller, special events and CR manager at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.

The Harvest for Hunger campaign aims to nearly triple that reach by partnering with four area food banks, which then serve residents in 21 regional counties.

"It's a coordinated effort," Biller says. "We work with thousands of organizations who support the campaign, and it's actually one of the largest campaigns of its kind in the nation."

Yet the food banks can't do it alone. Which is why they've hosted the annual Market at the Food Bank fundraising event — the "Market" part of the name comes from the West Side Market, which originally hosted the fundraiser — every year for the past two decades. This year's event marks its 20th anniversary, and Biller says about 1,000 people are expected.

In addition to helping a worthy cause, guests will get to sample 50 of Greater Cleveland's top restaurants, breweries and food vendors including Bomba Tacos & Rum, Chinato, Edwin's Leadership and Restaurant, Geraci's, Jackie O's Brewery, Melt Bar and Grilled, Sans Souci, Sushi 86, Trentina and Urban Sweetness.

There will also be a silent auction with prizes including a tour of the Cargill salt mine, plus a raffle with offerings such as an Apple Watch and a shopping spree at Legacy Village.

For wine lovers, there will be a wine pull with 50 different bottles up for grabs.

"For every $1 that's donated, we can provide four nutritious meals to those in need," says Biller. "We have a lot of buying power, and the money that's donated to us goes very far." Last year's event raised $183,000; this year the food bank hopes to pull in $220,0000.

That's the equivalent of 880,000 meals.

Market at the Food Bank is this Sunday, May 3. General admission ($100) entrance is at 6 p.m., and VIP ($175, includes VIP lounge access) doors open at 5 p.m. Purchase tickets here or at the door.

The Opposite of Eating

I use this space to celebrate Cleveland’s food community and all the wonderful things it has to offer. Week after week I write about new restaurants, events where food takes the spotlight, places to find the best of everything edible, our chefs’ accomplishments and all sorts of other culinary-themed stories. So it’s no wonder my Wednesday posts appear under the heading Feast!

But there’s another aspect to the topic, a dark side that most of us rarely consider: hunger. For all of us who eat well and regularly, it’s important to remember that it is a privilege not afforded to all.

A recent national study revealed a 46 percent increase in the number of people receiving emergency food aid from food banks and the agencies they work with since the last survey in 2006. That disturbing uptick translates into more than 37 million people, or one in eight Americans, at risk of not having enough to eat. Many of them live right here in northeast Ohio.

The Cleveland Foodbank, one of 185 food banks around the country that participated in the study, serves residents in six counties. They’ll feed an estimated 223,000 people over the course of this year. That’s a 23 percent increase over past years. Halfway through 2010, the organization is on track to distribute 30 million pounds of food to those who desperately need it.

On June 24, from 7–8 p.m., Mary O’Shea, Advocacy & Public Education Manager for the Cleveland Foodbank, will give a talk entitled “Hunger In America 2010.” It’s part of the Summer Lecture Series at Lucky Penny Creamery in Kent. Cost to attend is $5 per person, and all who buy a ticket receive a $5 Lucky Penny Creamery credit. Visit Abbe Turner’s Creamery again, and you can use it toward the purchase of the goat cheese she makes there. 632 Temple Avenue, Kent, 330-572-7550, abbe@luckypennyfarm.com