Read more: Local, State, Economy, Feed the Children, Erie Street Market, United Way
TOLEDO, OH -- The struggle of hunger continues for many families in the Toledo area and that struggle became even more evident Wednesday by the long line of families that formed outside the Erie Street Market.
They gathered there under the hot sun, waiting for a chance to take home some boxes of food that were being delivered by a national charity organization, Feed the Children. The organization brought two truckloads of foods and personal care items to the parking lot of the market where about 800 families gathered.
Anna Christien, was one of the women who was grateful for the shopping cart of food she got to take home. "This is wonderful and really good they are doing this," said Christien who thinks the problem of hunger is greater than what is reported because many families are afraid of coming forward. Also in line was Fenton Zosper, who says "it is difficult, very hard right now" and he too thinks this donation from Feed the Children is a good idea and will help.
John Tracy, a program coordinator with Feed the Children says the organization worked with the Toledo Salvation Army to find the families that were eligible for the donations. Many of whom, were those who have been unemployed for the first time in their lives and according to Tracy "don't know how to be unemployed." They are still learning the system and what is available to them. Tracy says Toledo was selected as one of the cities to help this year as a part of its "Americans Feeding Americans" project which usually target those metro areas were poverty is the worst. In a recent survey, Toledo was ranked in the top ten of the poorest cities in the nation.
