Love Center Serves 254 Families, Distributes 53,000 Pounds with 700 Volunteer Hours

The Love Center provided intensive food assistance in December, serving 254 different families through 342 visits and distributing a total of 53,189 pounds of food, supported by 700 volunteer hours. That volume included 36,334 pounds from the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank and 16,855 pounds donated by local businesses, churches and individuals, underscoring the breadth of community support that kept local cupboards fuller during the holiday season.

Some families returned more than once, averaging roughly 1.35 visits per household, a reminder that food needs are ongoing rather than one-time. The scale of distribution and volunteer commitment highlights the Love Center’s role as a frontline response to food insecurity in Millersburg and surrounding towns such as Berlin, Walnut Creek and Winesburg. For many residents, the Love Center’s offerings translate directly into fewer skipped meals and reduced strain on household budgets.

Local churches and ministries provided significant food and cash contributions, including Berlin Christian Fellowship, Berlin Mennonite Church, Broken Grounds, Clark Church, Community Bible Church, Faith Lutheran Church, Gateway Fellowship, Martins Creek Mennonite Church, Ripley Church of Christ, St. John’s Church of Millersburg, St. John’s Church of Walnut Creek, St. John’s Lutheran Ladies Aid, St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Millersburg, The Church of Christ and Zion Reformed Church in Winesburg. Businesses and organizations also stepped up, with donations from Ace Hardware; AFSCME Local; Arrowhead Deer Processing; Berlin Natural Bakery; Berlin Village Inn; Chance 2; Coblentz Chocolates; Counseling Center of Wayne & Holmes County; Der Dutchman; Dutch Craft Furniture; East Holmes Vet Clinic; Emma Cates Crust Bakers; Envision This Inc.; Feikert Sand & Gravel Inc.; Guggisberg Cheese Factory; Hershberger Farm & Bakery; Hillcrest Orchard; J Miller & Son Excavating; Jitter’s Coffee House; Kauffman Bakery; Kauffman Lawn Furniture; McDonalds Millersburg; Millersburg Lions Club; Northeast Ohio Natural Gas; ProVia; TH Manufacturing, Inc.; The Killbuck Savings Bank Co.; Troyer Market; Walmart, Millersburg; Walnut Hills Retirement Center; Weaver Leather; Weaver Produce; and Wilson’s Country Creations, Inc.

Individual donors numbered in the dozens, with contributions from Michelle Alexander; Constance Anderholm; Stephen and Peggy Andrews; Glenda Arnold; Brian Barbey; James Beechy; J Frank and Lucy Bell; Merrill and William Bender; Thomas and Margaret Bernard; James and Cynthia Boals; Richard Bush; Ray Casdorph; Lawrence and Jeanne Cerniglia; Glenn Coblentz; Sandra Coblentz; Robert Cooper; Dave Crider; Don and Jen Crilow; Robert Croft; Eagle and Deb; Kay Earney; Debra Eckelberry; David and Katherine Findley; Vincent and Molly Finney; Ann Fleming; Claudia Gallion; Michael and Shirley Gerber; Larry and Suzan Gilt; Mary Gindlesberger; Frank Gnizak; Diane Graebner; Juanita and Kevin Hennis; Marvin and Ruth Hershberger; Eli or Vesta Hochstetler; Joel Hostetler; Joanne Hunter; Sue Kauffman; Carita Keim; Katelyn Keim; Raymond Kopack; Barbara Lecky; Roy Manson; James Mast; Alison Maynard; Beverly McCall; Charles and Barbara McClelland; Anthony N Miller; Maynard Miller; Rachel Miller; Betty Mullet; Mick Mullet; Carl Novak; Robert and Georgianna Oswald; Robert and Rebecca Porter; Barb Porteaus; Marilyn Rehm; Sheryl Rogers; William and Eleanor Runyan; Kathy Schlabach; Steve and Ruth Schlabach; Lynne Seikel; David and Patricia Shrock; Richard Stambaugh; Terry and Elaine Stein; Karl Stonebraker; Thomas and Karen Stringfellow; Hal or Shannon Stutzman; Ward and Ann Lower Vaughn; Victor and Tammy Weaver; Lee Webb; Earnest Whytsell; Randy or Mary Lee Wirick; David Yoder; Joy Yoder; and nine anonymous donors.

The public health implications are clear: charitable networks remain essential to meet basic nutritional needs in Holmes County, but heavy dependence on volunteer labor and donated goods points to structural gaps in food access and economic stability. The Love Center’s partnership with the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank and local institutions shows how coordinated efforts can patch those gaps, yet sustainable solutions will require policy attention to income supports, affordable housing and transportation that affect household food security.

Send cash contributions for the Love Center general fund to P.O. Box 31, Millersburg, OH 44654. Food donations can be dropped off at the Love Center, 1291 Massillon Road, Suite A, Millersburg, any Monday, Wednesday or Friday. Continued community donations and volunteer time will shape whether the Love Center can meet demand in the months ahead and help neighbors move from crisis relief toward stable food access.