Free carry-out meals from local businesses on Cleveland’s West Side are being distributed beginning next week thanks to the Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization and Cudell Improvement.
The community development group received $56,000 from the Cleveland Foundation and decided to split up the funds between six restaurants who agreed to provide free meals to residents. The goal is to give the restaurants a cash infusion, while helping neighbors impacted by the pandemic.
"Which really adds a lot of stability to these businesses in a time when that’s incredibly necessary for their survival," said Jessica Trivisonno, director of economic development with DSCDO. Trivisonno said the idea was inspired by these locally-owned restaurants who were already offering free meals during the pandemic, paid for out of their own pockets.
"We saw the leadership and that's something we wanted to expand on and reward," Trivisonno said.
For Nydvia and Ivan "Papo" Ruiz, owners of Rincon Criollo, the free meals are a way to say thank you to the community that supported them over the last several months, when the family-owned business had to cut hours and make changes.
"It's been difficult, but we’re trying our best to keep going and have the doors open for everybody," Ruiz said.
The meals will be distributed from 11 a.m. 2 p.m., or until they run out, every Monday through Saturday, from June 8 to August 1.
Below is a schedule of which meals will be available when, from the DSCDO website:
· Mondays: Banter Beer & Wine (7320 Detroit Ave) with free coffee donated by Ready Set! Coffee Roasters
· Tuesdays: Dudley Triangle (W 73rd St & Dudley Ave) with meals provided by Rincon Criollo, free coffee donated by Ready Set! Coffee Roasters and free books donated by Kids’ Book Bank Cleveland
· Wednesdays: Good Earth Farm Stand (9600 Madison Avenue) with meals provided by Pulp Juice and Smoothie Bar and free books donated by Kids' Book Bank Cleveland
· Thursdays: Gypsy Beans & Baking Co. (6425 Detroit Ave)
· Fridays: Frank’s Falafel House (1823 W 65th St)
· Saturdays: Ninja City (6706 Detroit Ave)
In addition, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District is providing two take-home meals every weekday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for any children under 18 and accompanying adults at the locations below:
· Waverly Elementary (1805 W 57th St) | (216) 838-7550
· Louisa May Alcott (10308 Baltic Rd) | (216) 838-6500
· Clark Elementary (5500 Clark Avenue) | (216) 838-7300
· Denison Elementary (3799 W 33rd St) | (216) 838-3250
· Free shuttles at 11am from: Joseph M. Gallagher School (6601 Franklin Blvd), Marion C. Seltzer (1468 W 98th St). Student RTA passes are also still valid.
Below is a list of additional meal distributions on the West Side:
Every Weekday, 11am-1pm – Urban Community School (4909 Lorain Ave) | (216) 939-8330
Every Weekday at 9am and 12pm, every Saturday at 9am and 4:30pm – West Side Catholic Center (3135 Lorain Ave) | (216) 631-4741
Every Weekday at 4-5pm, every Saturday at 12-1pm - Children’s Hunger Alliance is providing 2 meals for children 18 and younger at most City Recreation Centers
· Michael J. Zone Recreation Center (6301 Lorain Ave) | (216) 664-3373
· Cudell Recreation Center (1910 West Blvd) | (216) 664-4137
Every Weekday at 11:30am-12pm and 5:30-6pm – St. Herman House (4410 Franklin Blvd) | (216) 961-3806
Every Tuesday through Thursday at 5:30pm – St. Patrick’s Church (3602 Bridge Ave) | (216) 631-6872
Every Wednesday, 6-6:45pm – St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (1349 West 78th St) | (216) 631-2841
Every Thursday, 12pm - Calvary Reformed Church (1918 W 65th St) | (216) 961-4271
Every 3rd Friday, 5:30pm - Calvary Reformed Church (1918 W 65th St) | (216) 961-4271
Every 1st Tuesday, 2nd Thursday, and 4th Monday at 5pm – Church of the Ascension at east door (13216 Detroit Ave, Lakewood) | (216) 521-8727
See more details at DSCDO.org
