One Third Of All Cleveland Children…Go To Bed Hungry
October 12, 2012
Hope and Change hasn’t found this neighborhood.
Cleveland,Ohio is a stronghold for Barack Obama, especially among African American voters. Yet ONE-THIRD of all children in Cleveland go to bed hungry every night. Who IS watching over these families and homeless people living in poverty? We discovered four great women at St. Malachi’s Parrish in downtown Cleveland who are making a big dent.
This past week, The Kitchen Cabinet visited one of Cleveland’s 231 food
A Catholic Parrish that is the heart of the city.
banks and came upon four hard-working women who are the safety net for hundreds of the hungry poor in Ohio. The story begins like this:
During our bus tour through Ohio’s Cuyahoga County, the biggest county in Ohio, our Kitchen Cabinet women’s leaders made a stop at the historic Cleveland Westside Farmer’s Market. President Obama had visited the day before shutting down all of the businesses so that he could TOUR the market! (And buy goods for himself and his family!)
One of the market’s small business owners Terry Leu of Rolston Poultry, made news when the President asked him how his business was doing! Joe said,
Terry Leu, Owner of Rolston Poultry in Cleveland. President killed his business while visiting the West Side Farmer’s Market.
“Terrible since you got here!”
This statement spoke for MANY businessmen across the nation and made big headlines!
The Kitchen Cabinet decided to pitch in and buy some chickens to help Terry Leu recoup some of his losses caused by the President’s visit. After all…Barack Obama doesn’t have to come and see you in person to ruin your business these days. He’s doing a pretty good job from The White House!
Our dutiful Ohio women’s leaders dug into their purses and all in all bought about a dozen whole chickens from Terry Leu. But then what to do with them?
Cuyahoga County GOP Chair Rob Frost, suggested that we take them to the nearby soup kitchen at the rectory of Saint Malachi’s.
TKC’s Sonja Brown discovers four of God’s best working in St. Malachi’s soup kitchen: Kat Larkman, Danielle DeMoncos, Stephanie Pass, and Pat Barker.
When our team of women’s leaders arrived, we found four saints working in a tiny, neat, but old rectory kitchen. St. Malachi’s Priest, Anthony Schuerger, opens his OWN kitchen to the poor, and four wonderful women were making 70 peanut butter sandwiches for homeless men. When we walked in with TWELVE, whole, and fresh chickens, they were almost in tears. The rectory refrigerator was empty. They had been worried about how to offer supper for the homeless. A kitchen full of women with big hearts just stared at each other in amazement:
Though we came to encourage women to vote in this important election, we
The greatest women in the world.
promise you, The Kitchen Cabinet would have flown all the way to Cleveland just to bring chickens to St. Malachi’s needy kitchen.
Much love to the REAL public servants out there like Rev. Anthony J. Schuerger, and four angels like Kat Larkman, Pat Barker, Stephanie Pass and Danielle Demoncos. YOU make America work. Not the government.
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It is so sad that we have so many homeless and hungry people. Thank you for helping these people in need. If we would all just pitch in a little more, this world just may become a better place to live.
That is my Grandma, her neighbor, my cousin and her friend who help! They are so dedicated to that kitchen. Thanks for helping a city in need an providing them with chicken to make soup. Also, it’s Pat Larkman and Stephanie Poutz!
God Bless these women and ALL who reach out to help the poor of Cleveland (and surrounding communities). Many years ago God tugged at my heart to help in this very area that they are ministering in. I remember attending a funeral at this church and God stopped me dead in my tracks and I was lead to turn around and go and talk to one of the homeless. It was then that I started to put a “name with a face” and for a long time I collected blankets & coats from our church in the burbs and brought them to the parking lot at St. Malachi’s, so I have first hand knowledge of the needs as well as many of their stories. Some of these folks are individuals like any of us who THINK we are doing ok and are well off. They lost their homes because they lost their jobs, many lost their famiies as a result and they’re just doing the best they can. It’s true some are addicfted to alcohol and drugs and it was the reason behind their dilemma – but not all. I hope the next time you drive by someone that is obviously homeless something will stir in your heart to give them just a little help for the moment, perhaps God might even move in you to do more and for a longer period of time like these ladies. God bless the ladies of St. Malachi’s and the ladies of the Kitchen Cabinet.
“For I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me something to drink: Matthew 25:35