BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—What began as leftover catered meals destined for jobsite dumpsters has transformed into a major hunger relief initiative spanning six central Ohio counties.
Trudy Johnson, founder of the nonprofit Elizabeth’s House of Grace, collects hundreds—and sometimes thousands—of packaged restaurant meals six days a week from a massive data center construction site near Columbus. Rather than letting unused catered food go to waste when work crews do not show up, Johnson and a small team of volunteers transport the surplus to communities across Crawford, Marion, Richland, Huron, and surrounding counties.
The meals, sourced from popular establishments like Fazoli’s and Jimmy John’s, are distributed in bulk to sober living houses, assisted living facilities, and church drive-through distributions. With route demands reaching over 2,000 meals on heavy days, Johnson says the organization is in urgent need of community volunteers to help expand local delivery, as well as financial donations to offset skyrocketing fuel costs.