Trumbull County St. Vincent de Paul Society eyeing new center to address food insecurity

The Saint Vincent de Paul Society in Trumbull County is looking to address food insecurity and much more in the area with a new project and they're asking state and local officials for their support.
Saint Vincent de Paul Director of Development Laura Bennett tells 21 News the Society is looking to build a new Hunger and Community Education Center at 2355 Niles Road, which is the current location of the Nick Parilla Dining Hall.
According to a funding request sent to the State of Ohio, food insecurity in Trumbull County is the highest in the entire State of Ohio at 14.1% (10.4% U.S.) and 19.1% of children (12.8% U.S.).
Additionally, the county has one of the highest unemployment rates in Ohio.
Bennett tells us ever since the pandemic, the dining hall has been seeing an influx of people needing food assistance. Before the pandemic, the dining hall served about 150 people per day. Now, that number has jumped anywhere between 450 to 650 people per day.
Due to the size of the current facility, which only seats a maximum of 40 people at a time, this influx has caused some challenges for the Society.
That's why the Society is requesting $618,000 from the Ohio Capital Biennium Budget to build a new center that will seat about 128 people at a time and also act as an area for other programs the Society offers. The total cost of this project is around $2.4 million.
In addition to increased capacity, this would also allow for more storage space for donated food items. Especially those that need refrigerated or frozen. Bennett tells us that as it stands, many donations need to be turned away simply due to a lack of space.
As for the fate of the current dining hall, this will be connected to the new center to act as a choice food pantry.
Bennett tells 21 News the current dining hall is located in the middle of a food desert with the closest grocery store being at least two miles away. This pantry will help those struggling to access those grocery stores ensure they get the right food for themselves.
In addition to food services, other programs will be available through this new building including:
- The Back2Work Program, which Provides tangible work and life skills, real-life job experience and one-on-one mentorship, to help participants become self-sufficient, learning to provide for themselves and their families.
- The Sleep Soundly Program and Share to Care Furniture Programs, which provides furniture, clothing, blankets, essential household items and factory-fresh mattresses to those without the resources to purchase them.
- The Hearth & Home Programs, which provides immediate financial assistance to families with emergency housing, rent/mortgage assistance, utilities and aid for un-housed individuals in the area.
Bennett tells us the completion of this project would hopefully be in 2027, but this depends on if they can secure funding and how much they can get. Bennett says County Commissioners have been supportive of the project thus far.