Copyright cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Thanksgiving Heroes Cleveland, a local all-volunteer charity now in its sixth year of operation, is preparing to deliver complete Thanksgiving meal packages to at least 2,250 families across Northeast Ohio this November – their largest effort to date. The local chapter of the national organization, which began with just 100 families in its first year, has expanded its reach significantly through grassroots fundraising and a commitment to ensuring that 100% of donations go directly to providing meals to families in Northeast Ohio. Thanksgiving Heroes works with local nonprofit organizations, mostly located in Lorain County, to connect with local folks who might be in need of a Thanksgiving meal. “Our goal is that no child goes hungry at Thanksgiving and that every family gets to have a meal,” Shannon Fowls, co-founder of the Cleveland chapter and board director, said. Each family receives a complete Thanksgiving meal package delivered directly to their doorstep, including a turkey and all of the ingredients to make the traditional side dishes. “We take them a turkey. We take them a pie, potatoes, corn, green beans, so they can actually fix a Thanksgiving meal for their family in the comfort of their own home and share that experience,” Fowls explained. The organization uses a community-based nomination system rather than requiring families to go through a formal vetting process. “It’s really none of my business why they need it, but if somebody in the neighborhood says, ‘Hey, these people could use the help,’ then that’s good enough for us,” Fowls said. “All of the nominees for those families are nominated by other people in the community.” This approach reflects the organization’s philosophy of “good neighbors helping neighbors,” he added. The impact extends beyond the recipient families to the volunteers themselves. Fowls recounted stories of powerful connections made between volunteers and recipients – including one instance where children from a volunteer family were so moved by meeting a family that had never experienced Thanksgiving before that they asked to donate half of their Christmas presents to those children. “We get stories of crying at the door, hugging, laughter. It’s mixed emotions from everybody,” Fowls said. Thanksgiving Heroes began in Salt Lake City, founded by Rob Adams, who experienced homelessness as a child before becoming successful later in life. The Cleveland chapter was established after Adams met Matt Chase, Thanksgiving Heroes Cleveland’s other co-founder, by chance at a realtor trade show. Since its inception, the organization now has seven chapters nationwide. The charity has grown exponentially since its humble beginnings. “Our first year, we did 100 families,” Fowls said. “And then the last three years, we’ve done 2,000. This year, we had better fundraising, so we moved to 2,250.” Despite this growth, the organization sees potential to help many more families if additional funding becomes available. “We could do 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 families. There is no limit for us. The limit is our funding,” Fowls emphasized. “We need business owners and community leaders out there to help us with this.” With meal deliveries scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 22, the organization is still seeking volunteer drivers and nominations for approximately 150 more recipient families. Those interested in volunteering, nominating families, or donating can visit cleveland.thanksgivingheroes.org. While every year is important for Fowls and his team, this year feels even more pivotal considering the pause in SNAP/EBT benefits due to the ongoing government shutdown. “As a community, we can all help each other,” Fowls said. “Whether it’s feeding families or just making a stranger smile, it’s just being able to do something in your heart that you know is good and you’re fighting the right battle.”
