Helping Out Lakewood Neighbors in Need for the Holidays

The number of needy residents has skyrocketed, while funding has dropped. Here are some ways you can get help.

The holidays are a good time to spend time with family and friends, but they’re also a great time to offer a hand to those in need. And, in Lakewood, there are plenty of ways to help. There are a number of organizations — including the Lakewood Community Services Center and the Lakewood Charitable Assistance Corporation — and several hot meals in Lakewood looking to help out needy Lakewood families.  And there’s no shortage of those.  According to the 2011 US Census data, more than 17 percent of Lakewood's population is below the poverty line. That’s high, compared with the state average, at 14.8 percent. The recession hasn’t helped. “There’s just so many people coming through,” said Trish Rooney, the director of Lakewood Community …

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Christine K Crawford

2:04 pm on Friday, December 14, 2012

Volunteers are needed today and tomorrow for the LCAC Christmas food bag distribution. No need to register, just show up...and bring a friend. See the blog below for more details http://lakewood-oh.patch.com/blog_posts/volunteers-needed-today-and-tomorrow-for-lcac-holiday-food-basket-event   more ›

'Got Green?' Event Raises $40,000 for Neediest Residents

Trish Rooney, the director of the Lakewood Community Services Center, said she had hoped to raise more than $40,000 for Lakewood neediest residents. More than 270 attended and help the organization reach the lofty goal.

If the goal of the Got Green? fundraiser was to have fun and raise money for the Lakewood Community Services Center, mission accomplished. On both fronts. Trish Rooney, the director of the Lakewood Community Services Center, said she had hoped to raise more than $40,000 for Lakewood neediest residents. The proceeds will benefit LCSC's client programs and services. The organization is providing emergency food and homeless prevention assistance to more than 9,000 Lakewood residents “who need us more than ever before.” With this year's raffle — which included contributions from dozens of Lakewood and local business — the event exceeded the goal. "This gets bigger every year, and the crowd gets younger," said Rooney.  More than 270 people …

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‘Got Green?’ Combines Food, Fun and Help for Lakewood’s Neediest Residents

Lakewood Community Services Center will host its third-annual fundraiser at the community garden in Madison Park this Friday.

Some things never change. The annual Got Green? fundraiser is about folks enjoying delicious food, music and neighbors helping out their neighbors. Hosted by the Lakewood Community Services Center, the event is set to take place at Madison Park’s community garden from 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday. This year, celebrity chef 
Steve Schimoler, of the award-winning Crop Bar and Bistro, will serve up the gourmet food. The goal is to raise money for LCSC’s client programs and services. The organization is providing emergency food and homeless prevention assistance to more than 9,000 Lakewood residents “who need us more than ever before.” LCSC, marking its 30th year in the community, has seen a 50 percent increase in the number of people needing …

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Diapers Needed For Your Lakewood Neighbors

Lakewood Patch hosting a Diaper Drive with Lakewood Community Services Center to get diapers for our city's neediest residents.

To buy diapers or pay the utility bill…  It’s a decision many Lakewood residents are facing. The Lakewood Community Services Center has provided diapers to families with the help of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, but with a lack of funding, the church is discontinuing the diaper assistance program. Food stamps don’t pay for them. Neither does WIC, the federally funded program for women, infants and children. Trish Rooney, the director of LCSC, said that with the high cost of disposable diapers, more than 100 of her clients rely on the extra help. “They come in for vouchers and we just didn’t have them,” she said. “Disposable diapers are expensive and food stamps don’t pay for them.” Lakewood Patch is hosting a Diaper Drive to help LCSC …

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Colin McEwen

1:31 pm on Thursday, April 12, 2012

Allison, good questions. I'd give LCSC a call at 216-226-6466. Thanks!   more ›

VIDEO: Neighbors Helping Neighbors in Lakewood

There are more 40 volunteers at the Lakewood Community Services Center who offer their free time to help others. Want to join them? There's definitely a need.

At the Lakewood Community Services Center on Madison Avenue, the need for hunger relief assistance has only gone up. And the funding’s only gone down. Fortunately, local volunteers have stepped up to help.

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LCSC: It's All About Helping Out Lakewood Neighbors

Need for assistance keeps growing at the Lakewood Community Services Center.

Lakewood Community Services Center: Need for Assistance Keeps Growing

The Lakewood organization, located at 14230 Madison Avenue, has seen a 50 percent increase during the past year. You can help.

The story’s the same for many hunger relief organizations across the country: More people are turning to them for assistance. But there’s less funding for the organizations. In other words, they’re doing more with less. It’s no different for Lakewood Community Services Center. The Lakewood organization, located at 14230 Madison Avenue, has seen a 50 percent increase in the number of people needing assistance during the past year. LCSC now provides food to a whopping 14 percent of the city’s population. Unemployment has played a role, but Trish Rooney, LCSC’s executive director, said there are myriad other reasons why the need keeps growing. “People are on fixed income,” she said. “It’s the horrendous rising cost of food. If you were on …

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'Got Green?' to Draw Fun, Funds for Lakewood Organization

Lakewood Community Services Center will be hosting its second annual fundraiser at the community garden in Madison Park this Friday.

What better place to enjoy delicious food and raise money for a community-centered organization than a community garden? Lakewood Community Services Center is hosting its second-annual "Got Green?" fundraiser at Madison Park’s community garden on Sept. 9. Greenhouse Tavern chef Jonathon Sawyer and Chris Hodgson’s Hodge Podge truck will provide the food, Great Lakes Brewing Company and Wine Trends will donate beer and wine, and Kristine Jackson and KJ Blues will perform. The event is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. LCSC Executive Director Trish Rooney said the goal is to raise $45,000 for the organization. “2009-2010 was, as you would expect, just unbelievable,” she said. In those years, Lakewood saw unemployment rates of 7.9 and 8.1 percent, …

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Lakewood Nonprofit Thrilled with First-Ever Funding from United Way

Lakewood Community Services Center will soon have wheels to make emergency food deliveries to seniors in need.

Lakewood Community Services Center will soon be mobile thanks to the United Way of Greater Cleveland. The Lakewood nonprofit, which has been offering food assistance to residents in Lakewood, Rocky River and Westlake for 29 years, received word last week that it was selected to receive its first-ever grant from the funding giant. Lakewood Community Services Center (LCSC), formerly Lakewood Christian Services Center, will receive $37,777 to expand its emergency food assistance program. LCSC Executive Director Trish Rooney said the funding will enable the organization to get more food into the hands of more people in need. “This year was our first invitation (to apply for funds) so as you can imagine we were ecstatic,” Rooney said. “We are …

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