WARREN — Two Saturday events in Warren aimed to raise awareness and funds for people struggling with food insecurity. 

St. Vincent DePaul Northeast Ohio District held its fourth annual Steps of Hope walk at Perkins Park in the morning and early afternoon, and later in the evening, St. Theresa of Calcutta parish hosted the third annual Rock ‘n’ Rally food truck event at Blessed Sacrament church — the proceeds of which also benefitted St. Vincent DePaul (SVdP). 

SVdP held the Steps of Hope walk, formerly the Friends of the Poor Walk, at the same time as 250 other chapters nationwide. The event featured a basket raffle, bounce house and free lunch for participants. Both the walk and the food truck event also featured live music. 

“Very rarely do all of the components of our organization get to come together and really celebrate what we do and the hard work that all of our volunteers and members put into it,” said Darlene Jones, the CEO of SVdP Northeast Ohio District. “This is a way to really celebrate them and let them feel appreciated.”

While the atmosphere at the events was cheerful, food insecurity is a serious issue in the Mahoning Valley. According to Jones, the problem is not getting better, as her organization’s dining hall in Warren now feeds about 500 people daily. 

“In one of the most recent surveys … the city of Warren had the highest child poverty rate in the state of Ohio,” Jones said. “So there is a great need here, and we are one of many organizations around the county that are really trying to help solve the problems and try to lift people up and make sure that they can stay stable.”