Concerns about the spread of the coronavirus has resulted in changes to how Wooster Hope Center volunteers will distribute food beginning this week.
Starting Wednesday, food distribution will become a drive-through process instead of a walk-through one.
Ever since the Wooster Hope Center moved its Greater Wayne County Food Pantry to 807 Spruce St. in January 2017, area residents have lined up outside the building before entering the building and walking through the line with a volunteer. The volunteers had picked up the bags of food and placed them in cards before walking with the residents to their vehicles.
“There will be no people standing in line now,” Director Richard Frazier said. “People will remain in their vehicles for all three days we distribute food each week until it is safe.”
Volunteers will direct drivers through the parking lot. It won’t be anything different for those who have been to the Wooster Hope Center before, except they will stay in their vehicles and move down a line through a registration checkpoint and the area where food will be loaded.
Because Gov. Mike DeWine ordered schools closed for three weeks, the Wooster Hope Center will make food available for other agencies and organizations, like the Salvation Army and the Wooster YMCA. Frazier said he will be reaching out to OHuddle to see what food needs it has.
“I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to stay ahead of the problem, and this seemed to be the best way to continue our service to a large number of people with the best chance of decreasing the spread of the coronavirus,” Frazier said. “A good percentage of people in Wayne County rely on the Wooster Hope Center for food assistance, and we didn't want to let them down.”
The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank will provide the Wooster Hope Center with marketplace food items, and it will make more food available for purchase by the center.
Because of the changes, Frazier said more volunteers will be needed. Anyone who wants to volunteer can contact Frazier at 330-683-2242, Option 6 or at rfrazier@woosterhopecenter.org.
For more information, Frazier said people should follow the Wooster Hope Center on Facebook.
Wooster Hope Center Drive-Through Pantry from Wooster Media on Vimeo.