By Rick Palsgrove
Southeast Editor
The Greater Groveport Food Pantry has received a helping hand from the city of Groveport and a local church.
The city’s Fourth of July Committee recently donated $750 it received this summer in vendors’ fees from the Independence Day festival to the food pantry.
Crossroads.tv Church in Lithopolis added to the assistance by donating $2,000 to the food pantry. Additionally, Crossroads Church representatives indicated they are interested in creating a partnership with the food pantry to provide more help in the future.
Also, Groveport city employees held a contest among their departments to see which group could donate the most food items to the food pantry.
“We have a good group of employees,” said Groveport City Administrator Marsha Hall. “I had read that the pantry was in need of food items so we put together this three week contest among the departments. The winning department receives a free lunch. We’ll try to make this an annual event.”
Hall said a total of 1,500 food items were were raised in the contest and will be donated to the food pantry. The winning group of departments were public works and parks who donated 695 items.
“This is a blessing for the city and the food pantry,” said Groveport City Council President pro-tem Shawn Cleary.
Added Groveport City Councilwoman Jean Ann Hilbert about the food and financial donations, “I’m just in awe.”
Greater Groveport Food Pantry Director Becky Soles was grateful for the donations of food and money.
“Thank you to everyone involved for their help and dedication to the food pantry,” said Soles.
The Greater Groveport Food Pantry is located at 595 Cherry St. in Groveport and serves clients who live within the boundaries of the Groveport Madison school district. The pantry’s normal operating hours are 3-7 p.m. on Thursdays. To donate food items, call (614) 836-7652 to make arrangements to drop off your donation. Financial donations, which are tax deductible, can be mailed to Greater Groveport Food Pantry, P.O. Box 101, Groveport, OH 43125. For information or a list of needed food items for donation or to find out about upcoming community food collection events, visit groveportfoodpantry.com.
Health services contract
Groveport City Council is considering legislation to authorize a 2017 contract for the provision of health services with the District Advisory Council of the Franklin County General Health District.
According to Hall, the proposed contract is 5 percent higher than the current contract and will cost $44,215 per year.
In addition to immunizations, the District Advisory Council of the Franklin County General Health District also provides a number of other health services including, but not limited to, the following: opioid epidemic programs; public swimming pool inspections (they lead the inspections and treatment efforts this year during the current cryptosporidium outbreak); nuisance condition inspections (the city handles property maintenance issues, but the health council handles other nuisances such as unsafe conditions within residents); oversees infectious disease outbreaks; provides water quality samplings (such as checking for lead in water fountains); and food safety inspections.
“It’s just like having our own health department,” said Hilbert of the contracting for health services.
“Which we could do, but this is a much cheaper option,” said Hall.
