Free hot meals again being offered

Free hot meals are being offered again on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at two new locations.

The Hot Meals program, run by Catholic Social Services of Summit County and Catholic Youth Organization, were halted June 3 after St. John's Parish on Brown Street closed and the coordinator of the program resigned.

Meals are now being served on Tuesday evenings from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Dowed Hall at Visitation of the Blessed Virgin, formerly Annunciation, 87 Broad St. in East Akron.

Wednesday hot lunches are served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Frey Hall at Blessed Trinity, formerly St. Martha, 300 E. Tallmadge Ave. in North Akron.

The new facilities can hold between 100 and 200 people.

''The need is very serious,'' said Donald Finn, executive director of CYO. ''Anyone is welcome to attend either or both locations. We don't question people who show up.''

Finn is quoted in a story by Marilyn Miller in the Beacon Journal  today.

Finn said he is seeing more people on exit ramps of the expressway holding up ''Will work for food'' signs and other hunger signs.

''I pull over and tell them where they can get a hot meal,'' Finn said. ''There are many organizations out there doing things for the homeless and those in need.''

The program, which has a budget of $72,000 for 2009, is funded through donations and foundations, Catholic Charities, United Way and government grants.

The program's new coordinator is Patrick Kennedy who retired from the Summit County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, after serving 35 years. The new position is part time. Kennedy said he has had a long-term association with CYO, dating back to 1965, when he worked as a camp counselor at Camp Christopher.

''Some people can't meet their basic needs, whereas some of us don't even think about where our next meal is coming from. Not everybody has that option,'' Kennedy said. ''Each of the sites are easy to get to, they are located on bus lines.''

Kennedy said he hopes the program will eventually expand to serve more meals a week and maybe one day have one centralized location.