Dover Exchange Club impact on the community continues
Rick Moss, left, Rick Johnston, Shane Gunnoe, Kevin Korns, Bill Fritz, Rockne Clark, Larry Williams, Eric Hay and Fred Tedesco
Members of the Dover Exchange Club recently volunteered to help distribute food at the Greater Dover-New Philadelphia Food Pantry, and while they were there, they continued their summer of giving by presenting a check for $3,000 to the organization.
The funds will help those who use the food pantry’s services. With the rise in food prices, it is now sometimes difficult to get as much variety as they have had in the past.
About 80% of donations go directly to purchasing food while the remaining funds are used to pay the costs of keeping the pantry open. The pantry is fully staffed by volunteers. They also deliver food to the homebound. They are in need of part-time drivers.
Bill Fritz, volunteer treasurer for the Greater Dover-New Philadelphia Food Pantry, said numbers of those visiting the food pantry dropped during the pandemic when they were providing drive-thru services only. The pantry has been back to providing shopping services where people can use a cart to select the items they want.
“We’re now back up to the numbers that we were seeing before the pandemic,” Fritz said. The food pantry is open Thursday nights and Friday mornings, serving 300-400 people each day.
The food distributed comes from the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank, and this time of year, there are many fresh vegetables and fruits available. It’s something Fritz is pleased the food pantry is able to provide.
“It happens in the springtime when the southern states have their first big harvests, and then it happens again this time of year when the areas around here have their big harvest,” Fritz said.
Fresh food can sometimes be hard to find.
“Especially for the neighbors that we have coming through our lines, fresh vegetables and fresh fruits can be a stretch for them,” Fritz said.
The pantry has been at the same location at the Burning River Church in downtown Dover since 2008.
“We really made this area our own, and we’re quite grateful to Burning River Church and Pastor Leggett. They’ve donated this area to us, and they don’t charge us rent. We pay our expenses, and we help them with utilities,” Fritz said. “That’s a big deal.”
The people they serve are primarily from Tuscarawas County, but some come from other counties too. No one in need is turned away.
“Even if they show up and haven’t been able to find their identification, nobody walks away without food. We’re grateful for that,” Fritz said.
There also is no limit on the number of visits people can make to the pantry.
The members of the Dover Exchange Club were happy to volunteer their help.
Since the Dover Exchange Club’s Canal Dover Festival, the club has made more than $34,000 in donations to multiple organizations. The donations include $10,000 to the Dover softball field AstroTurf project and $5,000 for fireworks and stage use for Dover’s End of Summer Celebration.
“In addition, the club has supported the Tuscarawas County United Way with a $2,600 donation to fund 100 books for preschoolers from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and a $3,000 donation in support of Tuff Bags,” said Rockne Clark, a member of the Exchange Club. “To help with children returning to school, the club gave the Summit Church $2,000 for their school supplies program, donated $1,000 to Dress-A-Child and supported the Dover Police Department with a $900 donation for their National Child Safety Council brochures.”
The club also supported Starlight Enterprises Inc. with a $5,000 donation to help upgrade its software, as well as $1,000 to both the Friends of the Homeless and the Tuscarawas County Senior Center.
“In light of recent events where young athletes have experienced cardiac arrest while competing, the club donated $2,600 to the Dover Soccer Association to purchase a battery-operated AED to have onsite at the fields in the Deeds Industrial Park,” Clark said.
The Exchange Club is looking for sponsors for its annual spaghetti dinner to be held Oct. 21. Proceeds from the dinner will be used to ensure every foster child in Tuscarawas County receives something for Christmas. Anyone interesting in helping to sponsor the dinner may email the club at doverexchangeclub@roadrunner.com.