During the monthly Food for Thought pantry distribution, Toledo Refining Company (TRC) announced a $50,000 commitment to four local organizations to help fight against food insecurity.
“We know our neighbors here in East Toledo and Oregon alike face food insecurity daily,” said Erica Halada, the community relations advisor for Toledo Refining Company. But that was before the holidays, before the government shutdown. “We knew by talking to our partners…all of those who serve the community in that way have really been emphasizing that need.”
“And so we, as a company, decided that this was something we had to do for our neighbors in addressing that [food insecurity],” she said. “And a $50,000 investment came out of that conversation.”
Monetary assistance was given to four organizations: Oregon Senior Center, East Toledo Senior Center, ProMedica Bay Park Hospital’s Food Clinic, and Helping Hands of St. Louis.
“TRC’s recent commitment to us and the other local organizations shows that they are in the community. It is not just about the donation; it is truly about making a difference for the families that we serve on a daily basis,” said Jodi Gross, the executive director for the East Toledo Family Center.
The donations affect the 43605 and 43616 area codes, Northwood and Oregon, Ohio.
Gross confirmed the rising challenges facing the area. “We have seen an increase in serving our families; this funding will allow us to meet the needs.”
ProMedica Bay Park Hospital’s President Matt Hammond also weighed in on food insecurity as reported by The Sojourner’s Truth. “Access to healthy food is as important as access to medication,” Hammond said. “Food insecurity is not just a social issue; it is a health issue.”
One day shy of a week after this commitment was made, the federal government shutdown ended on Nov. 12.
In a public statement recorded on WTOL 11 Scott Hayes, the director of Midwest government relations and strategic communications for PBF Energy, the overarching company for TRC, said of food insecurity, “It’s not just happening some other place, it’s happening right here, and we’re all just a few paychecks away from food insecurity.”
In an Instagram post, the City of Oregon, Ohio @oregonohio thanked both Hayes and Halada for their community support.
“It’s one thing to say you care about the community. It’s another to show up the way this team does,” the post read, and then thanked the two representatives of TRC.
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