North Ridgeville Community Care has been helping residents since 1989.

The nonprofit has a food bank and offers comprehensive services including assistance with rent and utilities, clothing and household items, and an education fund that covers tuition and materials such as computers and textbooks.

“In the last month alone, 500 people have come through our doors,” said Heather Kaesgen, CEO of North Ridgeville Community Care.

But the nonprofit has seen a decline in donations lately. A storage room has about a week’s worth of food stored, and the main pantry is filled with empty shelves.

Kaesgen said the lower donations are due to inflation and higher food prices, as well as the fact that many families in Northeast Ohio recently experienced severe storms that caused extensive damage and food loss.

“If you want to donate some food to us at the end of the week, your budget may not allow it,” Kaesgen said.

She said the organization is now spending about $1,200 a week that was not budgeted to ensure adequate nutrition for the families it works with.

The North Ridgeville Lions Club has been working with North Ridgeville Community Care for many years.

Tony Stillwell is the Lions Club’s public relations officer. She is also co-chair of the fall fundraiser for North Ridgeville Community Care.

“My three-person committee met that night and we said, ‘Let’s go ahead and do this.’ They need it now,” Stillwell said.

The Lions Club posted an urgent message on Facebook asking the public to drop off food donations at North Ridgeville Community Care, 34015 Center Ridge Rd., during regular hours on Monday and Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or Thursday from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

North Ridgeville Lions Club/Facebook

The Lions Club has also set up an online donation option and is postponing its fall food drive from October to September 7.

Lions Club North Ridgeville

“We’re just looking for the quickest way to get them the donations they need,” Stillwell said.

The most needed items include pasta, sauces, soups, canned tuna and chicken, cereal, peanut butter, canned vegetables, canned fruit, pancake batter and syrup.

And right before the fall food drive, the Fill The Shelves Food Drive will take place September 3-6, where students from the North Ridgeville School District and St. Peter School will compete to see who can raise the most pounds of food.

Lions Club North Ridgeville

Stillwell said, “North Ridgeville City Schools has an initiative called Ranger Strong… ‘S’ stands for service. Get kids involved in giving and helping from an early age and help them understand that not everyone has the same things available to them as everyone else.”

Roger Brooks, head of St Peter’s School, said the students were enthusiastic and were learning valuable lessons.

“That’s part of our mission — to make sure our students learn to be charitable, to be good neighbors and to take care of their city,” Brooks said. “At the end of the day, the people in need win.”

Kaesgen said she appreciates the community’s efforts to help people and families in need.

“We just love our city and want to make sure we can help as much as we can,” Kaesgen said.