Behind the Shelves: How We Help Lake County Food Pantries Feed Those Suffering From Hunger

Real voices. Real impact. Click the above video to watch how the food donations we receive help fight hunger.

More Than $88,000 in Food Shared with Our Community Thanks to You

On June 11, we helped 37 local food pantries restock their shelves with more than $40,000 worth of food, thanks to the incredible support of our donors, workplace partners, and volunteers. That brings our total to over $88,000 in food distributed since April.

Why does this matter? Because 36% of Lake County residents are struggling to afford basic needs like food and housing. The need for food isn’t seasonal; it’s constant, which is why we launched our year-round food pantry last year, allowing local food banks to shop as needed.

Our spring Feed Lake County food drive raised over $50,000 in funds and $48,000 in food donations. We are especially grateful to Component Repair Technologies, who donated 8,532 lbs. of food; Marous Brothers Construction, who donated over 5,500 lbs. of food; and PCC Airfoils, who donated 5,116 lbs. of food!

Our generous partners, Buyers Products and the Jerome T. Osborne and Georgeanne S. Osborne Charitable Trust, enable us to continue to help feed hunger throughout the year.

“Feed Lake County is a true community effort,” said UWLC President & CEO Dione DeMitro. “Every dollar and donation directly impacts our neighbors suffering from hunger.”

Please consider joining us in our fight against hunger. Monetary gifts can be made here online. To set up a food drive or arrange for a food drop-off, contact David Whittaker at 440.639.1203 or dwhittaker@uwlc.org.

Together, we make a difference.

New UWLC Partnership Makes SNAP-Friendly Shopping a Reality at the Painesville Farmers Market

At United Way of Lake County, we are helping to make fresh, healthy food more accessible for local families through a new partnership with the Lake County General Health District and the City of Painesville.

Thanks to this effort, shoppers can now use their SNAP benefits to buy fresh produce, bread, and meat from select vendors at the Painesville Farmers Market, held every Thursday through September 18 in Veterans Park. Shoppers must simply stop by our tent near the Civil War monument to exchange their SNAP benefits for market tokens. (Please note: there will be no market on June 19 or July 17).

This is just one of many initiatives we have taken on to directly support Lake County residents in need. Whether we are helping families avoid hunger, operating a year-round food pantry for Lake County food banks to stock up, or collecting and distributing clothing for children at Lake County’s Back-to-School Bash, these efforts highlight the direct and immediate difference we make in the community over and above the many critical nonprofit programs we fund.

Celebrating Impact and Our Lucky 2024 Campaign Raffle Winners at our Annual Meeting & 2025 Campaign Kickoff!

We kicked off summer with a packed house, big announcements, and even bigger community spirit at our Annual Meeting and 2025 Campaign Kickoff, held June 28 at Paradigm in Mentor. For the first time ever, we combined both events into one—because as President & CEO Dione DeMitro put it, “We fundraise year-round, because the need is year-round.”

And the impact? It’s real. In 2024, 100,945 essential services were delivered to people in need throughout Lake County thanks to the generosity of our donors and the dedication and hard work of our agency partners.

Celebrating the People Who Make It Happen



We took a moment to shine a light on some of the standout partners and individuals who contributed to impacting lives in 2024 and announced and thanked our 2025 Campaign Pacesetters: The Kilbourne Family, Fredon Corporation, Griffin Technology Group, Mentor Nissan, and Lighthouse Advisers for their early and generous support.

We also recognized some amazing individuals with annual awards:

• Gwen Corban, Community Volunteer - Richard “Gus” H. Gehring Award Recipient
• Kerry Jonke, Laketran – Matt Logies Ambassador Award Recipient
• Amy O’Brien, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK – Power of One Award Recipient
• Robin Baum, Writer/Editor and Community Volunteer – Woman Leader of the Year
• Anna Galipo, American Heart Association – Emerging Leader of the Year

Real Stories, Real Change

“The impact of those who donate is woven into every corner of our work,” said DeMitro. “It’s in the food distributed year-round to nearly 40 Lake County food pantries. It’s in the backpacks and clothing shared at our community’s Back-to-School Bash for children in need. It’s in the doors that stay open at Project Hope for the Homeless, Forbes House, and the Free Clinic thanks to gifts made to our Community Fund.”

DeMitro emphasized that UWLC’s work is not just about numbers. It’s about life-changing moments, “When someone at Project Hope is met with dignity and begins to rebuild; when a child walks into school confident they have the supplies they need; when a survivor at Forbes House finds not just shelter, but strength; when a ‘little’ in Torchlight Youth Mentoring Alliance realizes they are not alone, that’s the true measure of impact.”

2024 Campaign Raffle Winners

As part of our 2024 Campaign, we held two raffles to engage donors and help raise funds in support of our mission. The winners were selected and announced live at the event:

• Robin Baum walked away with the $10,000 cash prize, donated by Mentor Nissan.
• Harry Oschip won a lifetime of monthly salon services for the woman in his life, donated by Ladies & Gentlemen Salon and Spa.
• Cathy Wison also got a big surprise, winning our $1,000 secondary prize!

And last but not least, cheers to John Griffin, winner of our April–May Weller Rainbow Raffle! He scored a six-bottle Weller Bourbon Collection!

Thank you to everyone who donated, volunteered, partnered, or simply showed up in support of our work.

The Bourbon Event! Bourbon, Bites, & Big Wins Await

Hurry - Register Now to Join Us the Evening of Thursday, June 26

Join us next Thursday, June 26 at Andrews Osborne Academy for The Bourbon Event, featuring 100 curated bottles of bourbon, including allocated, hard-to-find selections you could win! 

To get in on the action, enter our 2025 Campaign Raffle by June 25, and you’ll be in the running for:

• A $10,000 grand prize!
• One of 99 bottles of bourbon (1 in 7 chance of winning)!
• A premium flight of 6 exceptional bottles!

Raffle-only? Not attending the event but still want to win? Click here now to enter!

Click here now to register to join us at The Bourbon Event!

Your night will include bourbon tastings; heavy appetizers like smash burgers, BBQ sliders, chicken tenders, nachos, pizza, mac 'n cheese, stuffed mushrooms, sweets, and more; prize raffles; a 50/50 raffle; premium cigars—including fresh-rolled cigars by Royal Havana Cigars; a chance to win one of 100 bottles of bourbon, including allocated, hard-to-find selections; and an opportunity to increase your odds of winning!

And if you are attending The Bourbon Event, don't forget to purchase your raffle tickets if you want a 1 in 7 shot of winning a bottle of bourbon!

Register now for an unforgettable night of bourbon, bites, and big wins!

Clothing Drive for August Back-to-School Bash

Please See the List of Urgently Needed Items Below

We are collecting new socks and underwear, as well as clean, gently used or new clothing for infants, toddlers, school-aged children, and young adults. Collected items will be distributed as part of our Community's Back-to-School Bash on August 2, 2025.

We are in critical need of the specific clothing items outlined below and hope you can help!

NEW Items Needed:

• Underwear: girls & boys, sizes 6 to adult XL
• Sox: boys & girls, sizes toddler to adult

Gently Used and/or New Items Needed:

• Children's Coats: boys & girls, sizes medium and large
• Adult Coats: male & female, all sizes
• Men's Pants: all sizes

We ask that you further help by pre-sorting any clothing you are able to donate by gender and size and by placing them in labeled boxes or bags (e.g., adult/youth, small/medium, etc.).

Drop-Off Location: United Way of Lake County, 9285 Progress Pkwy, Mentor

Drop-Off Times: Mon - Thu, 9 am - 5:30 pm and Fri 9 am - 11:30 am, or by appointment for evening and weekends (call 440-639-1107).

Unable to donate clothes but want to help? We are accepting cash donations here for the purchase of needed items.

Volunteers Needed

Volunteers are also needed to help sort and prepare donated clothing. If you are able to help, please contact Jen Smyser at jsmyser@uwlc.org or call 440.639.1286. 

Questions? Contact Jen Smyser at jsmyser@uwlc.org or call 440.639.1286.

12th Annual Golf Outing: August 29 at Black Brook

The Emerging Leaders of United Way of Lake County are hosting their 12th annual golf outing at Black Brook in Mentor on Friday, August 29. The outing draws golf enthusiasts from all over Northeast Ohio and quickly sells out each year! All profits benefit Lake County's youth. So grab your friends and colleagues for a day of fun and team building! Good time. Great cause.

Complete details, registration, and sponsorship information can be found here!