About MCTV's Organization of the Month
Charitable behavior can lead to psychological, spiritual, and emotional well-being benefits for the giver. Besides helping the community and being a part of a greater good, charitable donations are tax deductible, can give you a sense of purpose and can help keep you informed about issues of social injustice. Each month, MCTV highlights two local non-profit organizations. We have donation boxes set up in our lobbies and have information on our websites about each charity, along with links to their respective websites. MCTV’s commitment to charitable causes creates new ways for you to find, learn about, and support local charities. We try to make a bigger difference in the causes you care about the most and become partners with the organizations in order to bring about change. Donate with confidence to these organizations. They are low-risk organizations, have targeted goals, function with good governance and have transparency policies. To learn more, visit our community involvement page.
MCTV is pleased to recognize Wooster Hope Center as our December Organization of the Month. Please join us in thanking them for their efforts to improve the quality of life in Wayne County. You can support them financially at our office or online at www.woosterhopecenter.org.
Helping Offering Providing Encouraging “A Means to Make a Difference in the Community”
Wooster Hope Center (WHC) has been providing groceries, clothing, hygiene products, diapers and haircuts to those in Wayne county that may be in need of some assistance for over 4 years. WHC has become the largest distributor of free food in Wayne county providing over 400,000 pounds of food yearly through weekly emergency food pantries in Wooster, Rittman, and Norwayne school districts, weekly soup kitchens, monthly community dinner, and monthly food distribution at the Wayne County Fairgrounds.
WHC provides a weekly hygiene pantry, clothing room, monthly free haircuts by a licensed barber shop, and a monthly financial management workshop.
As of November 1st, 2015, WHC has provided:
- Hot meals to over 2,500 people
- Backpacks of food to over 2,000 students
- Hygiene—distributed over $15,000 worth of products
- Food—distributed almost 400,000 lbs.
- Christmas gifts and gift cards to 300 people
- Haircuts—over 300 provided free
- Basic needs to over 10,000 different families in Wayne county
WHC continues to strive to expand its programs and offerings to the community. In 2015, WHC added a weekly emergency food pantry in Rittman. It added Rittman and Norwayne Elementary schools to its Backpack of Food program for local students.
All of these services are provided with no payroll, just 100% volunteers. WHC is a grassroots organization with over 1,000 volunteers per year. In order to provide services, WHC relies on the generosity of individuals, businesses, and local churches. WHC does not accept any federal or state funding.
Near future goals of WHC include adding Southeast school district to the Backpack of Food program in 2016, and to purchase a house to move services to and expand into Christian counseling services and basic medical assistance.
WHC aims to foster self-confidence and to embrace the inherent dignity and worth of individuals by meeting them where they are and providing the most basic of necessities. Those that receive will have the opportunity to give back to their community, as we will ask for them to volunteer some of their time. Through this act of paying it forward, people will be empowered by making a difference in the community.
The WHC is an innovative and local outreach that is currently assisting over 1,000 people each month. Our goals include:
- Empowering individuals & families to give back to their community.
- Offering HOPE to the community.
- Offering an avenue of assistance for quality hygiene products.
- Offering free haircuts.
- Offering quality clothing.
- Offering diapers.
- Offering non-perishable food items.
- Offering assistance to the homeless
- Partnering with local agencies, businesses and churches to bridge the gap for low income families.
All people receiving assistance must live in Wayne county, have picture identification, and fall within 200% poverty level.
The Wooster Hope center now holds hygiene product distribution on Monday, by appointment, 11am-3pm.
On Mondays and Wednesdays, clothing distribution from 11am-3pm.
Every Wednesday, an emergency food pantry is available by appointment.
Free haircuts are available by appointment on the third Monday of the month by appointment, 11:30am-2:30pm.
Soup kitchen is every Tuesday at 4-5:30pm.
Emergency food pantry is every Wednesday, by appointment, 11am-3pm. A person can make one appointment for food once every 30 days.
Monthly food distribution will also take place at the Wayne County fairgrounds on the fourth Saturday of each month (except December) from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The food distribution includes a social services informational fair. Any social services organization offering a free service is welcome to participate in the fair.
Contact Information
445 N. Bever St.
Wooster, OH 44691
330-683-2242
