Thanks to a $105,000 gift from an anonymous donor, the Bishop William M. Cosgrove Center of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland, was able to install new walk-in refrigerator and freezer units with more than 3,000 cubic feet of capacity. The industrial grade appliances now store fresh food products for hunger relief programs at the Cosgrove Center, including its annual Thanksgiving Day meal distribution.
“We are so very grateful to our donor, whose late mother designated a life-giving bequest to support Catholic Charities food security programs,” said Patrick Gareau, president and CEO of Catholic Charities. “Expanding Cosgrove’s capacity from 336 to 3,000 cubic feet of refrigeration will help us support thousands more individuals and families for many years to come.”
The Cosgrove Center is one of the largest day drop-in centers in Greater Cleveland. The center offers more than 83,000 hot meals and 27,000 pantry meals annually, as well as supportive services, including clothing, hot showers, emergency financial assistance and more.
“This generous gift also supports the 15,000 hot meals for Thanksgiving we will deliver to individuals and families in Cuyahoga County,” said Fredy Robles, Catholic Charities’ chief program officer. “With meal counts overall up 72% this year, the new walk-in refrigerator and freezer units will better maintain and organize food items in support of the 4,500 individuals and families we serve through the Cosgrove Center each year.”
During the 2023 holiday season, individuals and families across Northeast Ohio can:
- Join in making a monetary gift to the Cosgrove Center at ccdocle.org/cosgrove.
- Bring food donations on Nov. 22 to the Catholic Charities St. Augustine Hunger Center at 1400 Howard Ave., Cleveland.
- Learn more about Catholic Charities community hot meals provided year-round in Cuyahoga, Lorain and Summit counties.
For more information about the Cosgrove Center, click here or call 216-781-8262.
Click here to view a short video featuring Megan Pitrak, Catholic Charities’ director of emergency assistance services, talking about the freezer and refrigerator donation.
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland is one of the largest comprehensive health and human services organizations in the region. It delivers more than 150 services at 60 locations to 400,000 individuals each year throughout eight counties of the Cleveland Diocese, Click here for more information.