Ohio National Guard delivers food to Adams County Shelter for the Homeless

By Austin Rust-

On March 18, Governor Mike DeWine signed a state active duty proclamation which called upon approximately 300 personnel from the Ohio National Guard to assist with humanitarian efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent weeks, this force – which now consists of approximately 500 personnel from the Ohio National Guard and Ohio Military Reserve, according to an update April 10, has packaged, transported, and distributed food to vulnerable communities in Ohio.
These soldiers were tasked to support the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services (ODJFS) and the Ohio Association of Foodbanks at locations throughout Ohio, a press release issued by the Ohio National Guard (on March 19) explains, assisting in the provision of food to homes in “vulnerable areas, community-based locations, and partner agencies in rural counties.”
“Food banks have seen a spike in the demand for their services in recent weeks. At the same
time, their available volunteer force has dwindled,” said Governor DeWine on April 10. “The Ohio National Guard has stepped in to provide the workforce and serve their fellow Ohioans.”
“Our men and women have been helping to package and deliver food so that Ohioans who
need it most will have food on their table,” said Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio Adjutant
General, in a statement released April 10. “Since March 23, more than five million pounds of food has been packaged and more than four million pounds of food has been distributed.”
“From the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in Ohio, we’ve known our support could be
requested for a variety of unique missions,” added Harris. “When our state calls, we answer.”
The Ohio National Guard’s 247 Delta Company (based in Hamilton) and 7107 Charlie Company (based in Xenia) have been active in helping to distribute food throughout Adams County. Their first local delivery was made to the Inter- Faith House food pantry (near West Union) on March 18; these food orders (which came from the Freestore Foodbank in Cincinnati, among other pantries) were picked up by the various service agencies and organizations across the county, including the Adams County Shelter for the Homeless, Inc. (in West Union), which rented trucks for the food.
On March 25, the Ohio National Guard soldiers returned to Adams County with a second set of deliveries. These food orders were delivered to several different locations, including Church 180 in Seaman, where volunteers work to prepare meals for students in the North Adams attendance area, as well as the Adams County Shelter for the Homeless, which has partnered with programs to aid local seniors such as Senior Life Solutions (a geriatric intensive outpatient program at the ACRMC), ABCAP Senior Services, and the Adams County Senior Citizens Council.
“We bought food through the Freestore to help both Brown and Adams County, shelter-wise and for local residents that needed help, because we knew that grocery stores were not being supplied with what they needed – and that some people couldn’t get to the grocery stores because they had been laid off, etc.” said Char Brown, Director of the Adams County Shelter for the Homeless.
“We were trying to fill the need here in two counties, so that’s why we ordered more through the Freestore,” Brown continued. “Also, we needed to help our people (residing) here at the shelter, and anyone who comes in – because we do have people come in off the street. If they’re hungry, we feed them, and we’ll send a bit of food with them if they have a place to cook and eat it.”
Although the Adams County Shelter for the Homeless is not a soup kitchen, and cannot provide cooked meals except in special circumstances, it has served (and continues to serve) as a hub for local residents to pick up boxes of free food. Through volunteers and its partners, the Shelter has also been able to deliver food to senior citizens and other residents who lack transportation.
The Ohio National Guard soldiers have continued to return each Wednesday in April thus far to deliver food orders. On April 8, Chuck Spires and Junior Heldon of Mosier Furniture delivered freezers to the Adams County Shelter for the Homeless, and also helped the soldiers to unload an order of food. Spires and Heldon then returned April 15 to help with unloading the next order.
“Char Brown called and told us that the National Guard were going to be coming in, and that she needed a freezer,” explained Gary McClellan, owner of Mosier’s Furniture. “We were able to respond with a dented freezer that we had in our warehouse, plus a freezer that Bonnie and I had at our house. As we were thinking we couldn’t get more freezers, lo and behold – GE got me a 16- cubic foot freezer. They bought it, and we saved it for them at the homeless shelter.”
“When we took the freezers down, we were there at the same time the National Guard arrived,” McClellan continued. “We had two guys – Chuck Spires and Junior Heldon – who helped them unload their delivery on that day. We also heard that they could use help on the 15th, so we had the guys return – not only to store food there at the shelter, but also load trucks for deliveries to the hospital and local churches. We happened to be at the right place at the right time to help.”
Still stocked with fresh fruit, vegetables, frozen meat, and other non-perishable food, the Adams County Shelter for the Homeless is open from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. on weekdays. The Shelter asks that residents call ahead before arriving to allow adequate time for a take-home box to be prepared.
A small order of more food will be delivered this week, said Director Brown, but the Shelter is now hoping to give away the food that it has stockpiled and make room for housing people in need.