The City of Cleveland and Trinity River Food Bank are partnering to offer a grocery giveaway on July 17.
Held at the Cleveland Civic Center, 210 Peach Ave., from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the food giveaway is an effort to help with food disparities in the community. This is a free event for everyone in the community in need of food.
“We are excited to be partnering again with Mrs. Christine Shippey [with Trinity River Food Bank] to give back to our community,” according to a statement from the City of Cleveland.
With the lingering threat of COVID-19, this will be a contactless event, so people who pick up food will need to have their trunk or cargo area of their vehicles open so the food can be placed inside.
Cleveland Councilwoman Marilyn Clay and EDC Director Robert Reynolds load food into bags for last year’s Grocery Giveaway in Cleveland. 
Vehicles line up to receive free groceries from the City of Cleveland’s Grocery Giveaway. Partnering with Trinity River Food Bank, the two entities provide food to people in need.
The City is still looking for volunteers to help with the food distribution. Volunteers can pick from two shifts – 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., or 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. All volunteers will report to the registration tent and have their temperature checked upon entrance. Masks and hand sanitizer will be provided on site. Water and light snacks will also be provided.
Volunteers must be older than 16 and must be able to stand for an extended period of time and able to lift and carry 30-40 pounds. The work is outdoors, so wear weather-appropriate clothing, closed-toe shoes and a hat and sunscreen for sun protection. Gloves are also recommended.
In order for this event to be a resounding success, the City needs 40-50 volunteers, so please join and volunteer if you can. To sign up, go online to https://www.signupgenius.com/go/clevelandgiveaway.
Maybe if they would take one of those millions of job openings, they wouldn’t need handouts.