TOLEDO, OHIO:  For the third straight year, Lutheran Social Services of Northwestern Ohio is hosting our Stock the Shelves drive-thru donation event, benefitting our Choice Food Pantry, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Friday, May 17, 2024.

As demand for our pantry continues to grow, LSS is seeking opportunities to raise donations and funds. In 2023, our pantries served a 5-day supply of food to nearly 24,000 individuals – almost enough people to fill the University of Toledo’s Glass Bowl.

During our Stock the Shelves event, we are encouraging the community to come to our Toledo location, 2149 Collingwood Blvd., with their donation. We will take the items from their vehicle and bring it into our building; there’s no need for them to even get out of their car!

There are other ways for the public to donate as well. We have an Amazon wish list with in-demand items that can be purchased and shipped directly to us; a link can be found on our website, www.lssnwo.org. Monetary donations can also be made directly on our website.

Our previous two Stock the Shelves events raised more than 3,000 pounds of food and $7,000 in monetary donations. Our goals are even bigger this year, and helping us reach those new levels are our sponsors: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield; Humana; CliftonLarsonAllen; and Mr. Terry Bossert.

We have donation boxes hosted at a number of public locations: Frogtown Tees in Maumee; Perrysburg Fit Body Boot Camp; Collingwood Presbyterian Church; Glenwood Lutheran Church; Maumee City School buildings; City of Oregon administration building; and the Maumee Youth Soccer Association. Many other organizations and businesses have boxes to collect donations from their staff.

Members of the LSS staff are available for interviews with local media at our Toledo location prior to the event. Please contact Jeremy Schneider at 419-243-9178 or jschneider@lssnwo.org to set up an interview.

We are also inviting the media to attend our event on Friday, May 17, between 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Elected officials from the State of Ohio and Lucas County are scheduled to attend and may be available for interviews, along with LSS staff. Please confirm your attendance with Jeremy Schneider.

Lutheran Social Services of Northwestern Ohio (LSSNWO) is a faith based social service agency that has been changing lives in the northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan area for 112 years. Assisting communities within a 24-county area, LSSNWO touches the lives of thousands of people each year through a variety of services including Behavioral and Mental Health, Financial Stability and operating two food pantries while also providing hope, compassion and stability to those in need.