A nonprofit mobile food pantry announced July 30 that its operations will be put on hold “due to health issues and financial support shortcomings.”
Rural Relief Mobile Food Pantry operators Rena (Lorena) and Jason Davis of Rootstown stated in a Facebook post that they started the pantry to focus on rural food deserts, distributing fresh fruits, vegetables and meats to those in need, not just “the usual pantry staples.”
Making the rounds of the county in a repurposed school bus since 2021, the Davises distributed 56,000 pounds of food and 35,829 meals to 1,185 families, the Facebook post stated.
The Davises assured donors that they would be closing the pantry’s accounts so money will bounce back, and encouraged donors who have arranged automatic recurring donations to cancel them.
In May 2023 the Rural Relief Mobile Food Pantry was one of a dozen county food programs Portage County commissioners selected to receive almost $1 million in county ARPA funds. The mobile pantry’s $37,500 allocation was to be distributed over the course of three years, with the first funds arriving in June 2023.
The Davises could not be reached for comment. The post stated they are halting the pantry’s operations, not permanently closing.
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.