CLEVELAND — Thanksgiving may still be a day away, but the kitchen at St. Augustine Hunger Center is already buzzing. Volunteers spent Wednesday preparing hundreds of meals for Cleveland-area residents who may otherwise go without a holiday dinner.
“What’s happening today is the big work,” Jim Mullen, president and CEO of Catholic Charities, said. “Which is the prep work. Getting all those meals together and ready for the folks tomorrow.”
St. Augustine volunteers handed out meals on Wednesday while also preparing for what is expected to be an even larger turnout on Thanksgiving Day.
"We know that folks in Cleveland have been struggling this year,” said volunteer Meaghan Geraghty. “Especially folks who don’t have access to food. So we’re here making sure we can help that problem.”
Inside the kitchen, teams carved turkey, chopped vegetables and portioned out traditional Thanksgiving sides. Volunteers also packed boxes for residents stopping by for early meals.
Geraghty said the work is meaningful, especially when she sees how people respond.
"They’re incredibly joyful, and they’ll take whatever we’re able to give them,” she said. “And they’re just so thankful.”
Rising grocery prices and delays in SNAP benefits have contributed to increased need this year.
"Our people have been really impacted by what’s going on the last few months,” Mullen said. “Even the last few years, to be honest, with inflation.”
St. Augustine distributed about 3,000 meals last Thanksgiving and expects to surpass that number this year.
"A lot of first-time people who’ve never had to seek help before are now looking for resources,” Mullen said.
Where to find a free Thanksgiving meal:
St. Augustine Hunger Center in Cleveland will open its doors at 10:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
Mary Queen of Peace in Cleveland will serve a Thanksgiving meal from noon to 2 p.m.
In Akron, Haven of Rest Ministries will offer a lunch meal at 12 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m.
In Wooster, The Salvation Army will host a community meal from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
A free community meal will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at DLX in Mansfield.
In Medina, CUPS Collective will have a meal from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and Hopes Recovery community will have food starting at 1 p.m.
Mill Street Diner will have a free Thanksgiving meal from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
In Portage, Calvary Chapel Silver Creek will have a free meal from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Twin City Ministerial will have a free meal from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church on N. Main Street.
Volunteers say the message is simple: anyone who needs a meal is welcome.
Weekly Price Tracker
Each week, we’ll visit Meijer, Giant Eagle, Aldi, Walmart, Heinen's and Dave's Market, checking prices on everyday essentials.
Those include: 2% milk, a loaf of wheat bread, chicken price per pound, ground beef tray or patty per pound (80% lean 20% fat), 12 dozen white eggs and toasted oats cereal.
If you're willing to shop around, you can snag even deeper discounts on meat, dairy, and pantry goods.
We’re also giving you a chance to see how your favorite stores stack up week to week. We’ll compare how grocery prices change at each store on a weekly basis.
Here's how prices compare across stores this week:
Meijer
Giant Eagle
Aldi
Walmart
Heinen’s
Dave's Market
From buy-one-get-one-free meat deals to cereal under $2, our Don’t Waste Your Money team will be keeping an eye on store shelves and sharing what we find.
Find a better deal? We want to hear from you! Submit your finds through the form below. If you beat our prices, we’ll feature them.
And if you’re a savvy shopper, always chasing the best deals, we may even join you on your next grocery run.
