Cleveland, OH
Cleveland food pantry instructed to throw away all food after food bank inspection
CLEVELAND, Ohio — A busy Cleveland food pantry recently had to dispose of virtually all of its food and temporarily shut down after a Food Bank inspection found evidence of mice.
The Greater Cleveland Food Bank says its compliance team found serious pest and cleanliness issues during a site visit to Bigman’s Family Center on Aug. 8. Some think the order to throw almost everything away was an overreaction and a wasteful move during a time of historic need for food assistance.
Pastor Pamela Brown, who operates Let’s Pray Ministry and manages the food pantry at Bigman’s Family Center, told News 5 that instruction to shut down came as the pantry was preparing for distribution on August 15.
“We had over 100 people waiting in line, and when they saw us taking out carts of food and throwing it into the dumpster, they asked us why,” she said.
While some volunteers turned away clients, others began following instructions to clear the shelves and toss everything in the dumpster outside, including produce delivered that morning, baby formula and canned goods.
“I said, ‘The food is in the dumpster.’ And they said, ‘Well, I’m not afraid to go in the dumpster. I’ve got to feed my family.’ Do you know how humiliating that probably was for them?” Brown recalled.
The pantry has had to halt its three-times weekly distributions for the time being. The closure comes as the Food Bank sees historic demand for food assistance. Brown said the pantry alone serves several thousand people each month.
News 5 reached out to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. A spokesperson there issued the following statement:
The Greater Cleveland Food Bank provides food to more than 1,000 program partners in a six-county services area. Food safety and quality of service are of the utmost importance: each partner signs an annual agreement and agrees to adhere to important guidelines around proper food handling/storage, cleanliness, and safe food distribution.
Bigman’s Family Center has been a long-time partner of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Recently, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank began receiving calls about the cleanliness of Bigman’s Family Center from concerned community members. Our compliance team conducted a site visit with Bigman’s, which revealed serious pest and cleanliness issues that need to be addressed.
Because of this, the food pantry at Bigman’s Family Center has been temporarily closed since August 17, 2023 while they work to address the issues. The Food Bank is working closely with teams at both Bigman’s and the Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland to rectify the issues with a goal to re-open the pantry as soon as the issues are addressed.
Some food items were impacted by the pest issues and, out of an abundance of caution, with food safety in mind, the center was asked to dispose of affected items. New food will be provided by the Food Bank in advance of their reopening. We anticipate this to happen in the near future.
Because we know our neighbors may still be in need while Bigman’s works to resolve these issues, any neighbor seeking food assistance has been directed to nearby partner agencies, including:
1. University Settlement Hunger Center, 4800 Broadway Ave., Cleveland, OH 44127 (216) 641-8948. Hours: Tuesday – Friday 11:30 am-2 pm
2. Corinthian Hunger Center, 1643 East 55th Street, Cleveland, OH 44103 (216) 526-1107. Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 10 am-1 pm
3. Hunger Network, MidTown Market, 4415 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44103 (216) 619-8155 x 115. Hours: Every Other Saturday from 9 am – 12 pm; Mondays from 4 pm – 7 pm
The Food Bank has also scheduled an outdoor produce distribution at Bigman’s Family Center for Thursday, August 31, 2023. Additionally, anyone in need of food resources is encouraged to contact the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s Help Center at 216-738-2067.
Bigman’s Family Center continues to be a valued partner agency of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank as well as the Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland. They are filling an important need with their focus on serving people in an area of high food insecurity and we appreciate their attention to this matter. We will continue to work with them to support their re-opening and their efforts to serve the community.
Bigman’s Family Center took over the food pantry less than 2 years ago, and Brown said the organization has done serious cleanup and pest control since the transition. Since it took over, she said it’s passed all regular inspections.
The nonprofit is now weighing whether it can distribute food sourced from outside the Food Bank and is calling for community donations. Pastor Brown said the community has come to rely on the organization’s services, and it doesn’t plan to go anywhere anytime soon.
“We’re far more, so that’s why we refuse to close the doors even if this is empty. We still are here for the community,” she said.
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Cleveland, OH
Cleveland Browns Foundation and United Airlines surprise Stay in the Game! educator with a trip to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans
CLEVELAND, OH – On Tuesday, Dec. 17, the Cleveland Browns Foundation surprised Ann Pesta, an educator from Stay in the Game! partner school Lakewood High School, with a surprise gift and recognition: tickets to Super Bowl LIX, round-trip flights courtesy of United Airlines, and accommodations for her and a guest.
The Stay in the Game! Attendance Network, launched in 2019, provides support and resources to Ohio school districts with the goal of increasing school attendance and decreasing chronic absenteeism. The Network supports 161 districts throughout the state of Ohio, with 108 of those districts within the Browns region, including Lakewood City School District.
Pesta, a Lakewood science teacher, received the news in front of her students and colleagues during a catered holiday luncheon, courtesy of the Browns. Browns players – guard Wyatt Teller, wide receiver David Bell, defensive back Tony Browns II and Chomps – were in attendance to present the tickets and commend Pesta for her impact on students throughout her 30-year career.
“It is a huge honor to be able to surprise Ms. Pesta today and show her that her job matters a lot to the Browns organization, Stay in the Game! and to me personally as my mother, father and older sister are educators,” said Browns defensive back Tony Brown II. “They can positively affect a young adult’s life by encouraging them to come to school. So hopefully something like this can show teachers that they are seen and appreciated.”
In November, the Browns called for nominations of educators who inspire students to show up for school. Receiving a large number of nominations, Pesta was selected for her contribution to education by creating an engaging learning environment that encourages regular student attendance. She was nominated by both current and former students, parents, and colleagues, which shows the impact she has had on her community throughout her career.
“We are so excited to be part of Stay in the Game! because it gives us another way to really reinforce the great things that so many of our Lakewood teachers are doing,” said Lakewood City School Coordinator of Student Wellness, Dr. Merritt Waters. “To partner with an organization like the Cleveland Browns to help show Ms. Pesta just how much we appreciate her is fantastic.”
In addition to the Super Bowl surprise, the Cleveland Browns Foundation and United Airlines invited Pesta and four other educators from Stay in the Game! partner districts across NE Ohio to be celebrated at the last Browns home game of the season against the Miami Dolphins on December 29th. Each educator will have the opportunity to bring three guests with them to enjoy the game.
One of United Airlines’ key areas of focus in the community is youth education, which aligns with the efforts of the Browns Foundation and Stay in the Game! Attendance Network. As a part of that focus, United Airlines wanted to help celebrate Pesta by providing the flights and recognizing four other educators who are making a huge impact on their students.
Dec 20, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) controls the ball against the Charlotte Hornets in the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The Philadelphia 76ers, fresh off their Friday night victory over the Charlotte Hornets, 108-98, travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers on Saturday night. As expected, the team will be without Joel Embiid, as the plan was for him not to play back-to-back games and even more with the broken sinus he sustained last week. The Cavaliers have been leading the NBA since the start of the season and have shown no signs of slowing down.
Sixers game information
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (9-16) at Cleveland Cavaliers (24-4)
When: 8 p.m. EST
Where: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland OH
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA League Pass, Ball Sports Ohio
Latest on the Sixers
When Embiid left the team’s game against the Pacers last Friday with what would later be revealed as a sinus fracture, the team and its fans thought for sure they wouldn’t see the Sixers big man back any time soon. Yet, Friday night, Embiid was out on the floor leading his team.
Without Embiid against the Cavaliers, the team will need Paul George to step up as he did on Monday nights game against the Hornets where he and Tyrese Maxey combined for 73 points. Friday, George finished with just five points on 2-12 shooting, including 1-7 on his three-point attempts. Against a team like the Hornets, with Embiid playing, you might get away with a game like that but against the Cavaliers, that will not work at all.
The Sixers are without Embiid as well as star rookie Jared McCain, so they’re going to need Maxey, George and Kelly Oubre Jr. to play some of the best basketball of the season, if they’re going to have a chance to win the game. While their defense has been improving the team must shoot better than the 36% they did on three-pointers against the Hornets.
Latest on the Cavaliers
The Cavaliers have been rolling and are 7-1 since dropping straight games to the Atlanta Hawks at the end of November. The team’s only loss was to the Miami Heat on December 8th, and that game was closer than it looked. The team matched up evenly throughout the whole game, with the lone exception being the Heat, which took eight more foul shots.
The Cavs jumped out of the gate this season, and they haven’t looked back since. They feature a balanced attack with six players averaging double figures in season scoring. They’re led by Donovan Mitchell, who’s scoring 23.5 points per game, but he’s doing that while shooting a career-best 40.5% on his three-point attempts. While he’s their biggest name, the team isn’t a one-man show.
Darius Garland and Evan Mobley are also putting in 30 minutes per game, with Garland giving the team 20.1 points and Mobley 18.2 points per game. They are also shooting career highs from beyond the arc, as Garland is hitting at a 42.6% rate, and Mobley is shooting 39.7% for the year. Add in Jarrett Allen, Caris Levert, and Ty Jerome, and the team has depth, and they’re playing well together.
What to watch for tonight
While the Sixers sit just outside of the top ten in defensive rating, it may not help much tonight as the Cavaliers are seventh in the league in defense. The Cavs offense just happens to be the top offense in the league, while the Sixers rest just a few spots away from the very bottom.
Without Embiid and McCain, the Sixers will be leaning on Maxey and George to try to replicate their games from earlier in the week while asking Kelly Oubre Jr. to, once again, step up as the team has needed him. Andre Drummond and Guergshon Yabusele should see some good minutes against a smaller Cavaliers team, but neither will be able to keep pace with the Cava offense and could look to be in foul trouble early on.
Watch to see if Tyrese Maxey continues to improve his shooting and if Paul George can have a bounce back night after last nights horrible shooting. If you’re lucky you’ll get a few KJ Martin and Ricky Council IV highlights.
Prediction
Cavaliers 115 – Sixers 97
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Multiple local, state and federal law enforcement agencies worked together to arrest a total of 68 people with felony warrants in the city.
“Operation Clean Sweep” happened between Nov. 17, 2024 and Dec. 20, 2024.
These arrests include people charged with:
- Murder
- Aggravated robbery
- Rape
- Drug trafficking
- Additional Crimes
20 guns were also recovered as part of the operation.
The “clean sweep” took place in Cleveland and other cities in northeast Ohio, including:
- Akron
- Canton
- East Cleveland
- Strongsville
- Parma Heights
The “final round up” on Tuesday ended with eight arrests with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals and the FBI.
Copyright 2024 WOIO. All rights reserved.
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