Oberlin Community Services’ expansion will enable it to help more people | Editorial

Oberlin Community Services is showing beyond doubt its commitment to people who may not have as much as others in terms of providing them with food or other services for survival.

One of the biggest moves Oberlin Community Services made in 2023 was to make serious upgrades to its space, including moving from its Professor Street home to a new site at 500 E. Lorain St.

By moving, the nonprofit pantry nearly tripled in size.

With the extra space, it can provide a great deal more to serve its clients.

The pantry closed its doors at the former location Dec. 22.

It reopened Jan. 3 in the new home.

Oberlin Community Services started in 1955 and has grown into one of the largest social service organizations in the county.

In fact, the agency is instrumental in many facets of the community.

It provides three main cornerstones of service, including food, emergency assistance, and resiliency and sustainability programming.

But the larger dedicated space for its indoor choice pantry, allows for additional parking that reduces wait times, loading docks, giant walk-in cooler and freezer units, a pavilion for events, more outdoor space for its People’s Garden, a big community room, space to build a large kitchen and several offices.

Also, Oberlin Community Services leaders say the new location is large enough that there’s ample space to share it with other nonprofits.

Jason Hawk, communications and development coordinator for Oberlin Community Services, said the focus of the agency mainly is on southern Lorain County.

However, the agency wants to make sure that there’s enough food to go on the tables of all of its clients, wherever they live.

The expanded pantry came at the perfect time because the demand for food and other supplies for low-income residents has been skyrocketing.

On a typical day, there could be between 150 and 180 households that visit the pantry.

Hawk emphasizes that Oberlin Community Services just wants to make sure that people who live in the southern, more rural, more agrarian parts of the county can get food.

Hawk also pointed out that the new space has more than enough room to accommodate the other programs of Oberlin Community Services.

The pantry and the warehouse are more than 14,000 square feet in size, which nearly is triple the space it had just for the food program.

And the expansion has allowed for more families to visit the pantry and the wait times have decreased.

The goal of the pantry is to provide more than just the bare minimum, and be able to provide meat, dairy and fresh produce to Lorain County residents in need.

Hawk thanks the people and organizations that donate to Oberlin Community Services.

The agency has a very wide support system, not only in terms of people who are willing to bestow financial gifts, but farms, grocery stores and others that donate food.

The agency also offers food deliveries; the Senior Box Program through Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio; a pop-up produce pantry; indoor choice pantry; and drive-up distributions.

But, it’s just not the pantry that serves clients at Oberlin Community Services.

When funding is available, it offers emergency financial assistance to help southern Lorain County residents with rent and mortgage payments, utility bills, life-saving prescription medications, shelter and transportation assistance in the form of a gasoline card to get to a necessary appointment.

When someone reaches out to Oberlin Community Services for assistance, it’s often the first time the individual had an opportunity to discuss some deeper, more personal issues with anyone.

So, Oberlin Community Services will help by advocating for the client and empowering them to get their needs met.

And if the agency doesn’t have the resources to assist or provide to the individual or family, it will make referrals to the best resources that can help.

The mission of Oberlin Community Services is to empower Lorain County residents through emergency assistance, food programs and other services while at the same time, promoting systemic change.

With its new and expanded headquarters, Oberlin Community Services will be in a better position to help others.