Sedwick Charitable Foundation cooks up more support to help The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Center

Joe Lyons • June 27, 2024

ASHLAND, Ohio – While the Sedwick Charitable Foundation’s has been generous to The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Ashland, this year they turned up the heat to meet the increased need of the food ministries. In addition to matching last year’s gift of $40,000 to support the Hunger Assistance Program, the Sedwick Foundation generously gave an additional $18,700 to help with the purchase of a new cook stove and two convection ovens in the kitchen.

“The new equipment will serve a variety of our food ministries, including our daily community lunch, and the Summer Food Service Program, says Dan Lawson, PhD, Director of Community Relations and Development for the Ashland Kroc Center. “We are so grateful for the local, ongoing support of Armstrong Utilities and their parent company through the Sedwick Charitable Foundation.”

“With rising food costs and the growing demand for our Hunger Assistance Program, the timing couldn’t be better,” Dr. Lawson adds.

The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center helps Ashland County residents who are faced with food insecurity through the following services:

Food pantry groceries
Community lunch served daily, from 11 to 11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday
In conjunction with The Cleveland Food Bank, the Ashland Kroc Center’s Summer Food Service Program helps children who receive free or reduced-price lunch during the school year by providing free, healthy meals each weekday from June 10 to August 9 for children ages 0 to18 years. The lunches are served from 12 to 12:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, on the back patio.

“In 2023, The Ashland Kroc Center served a total of 28,080 Ashland County residents to help prevent food insecurity, including 10,409 hot meals served to the community and the distribution of groceries to 5,584 individuals from the Food Pantry,” explains Dr. Lawson. “This gift from the Sedwick Charitable Foundation will help us continue these vital services and keep up with the increased demand.”

The Food Pantry is located in the Annex building of The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, 527 East Liberty Street, Ashland. It is open on Mondays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you or someone you know needs food assistance, please call the Food Pantry at (419) 282-4223.

For more information, please follow Ashland Kroc Center on Facebook or @AshlandKroc on Instagram.