“A little child shall lead them.” It is wonderful to realize that it was the kids of the church who got things rolling in terms of meal ministry. In 1926, the girls of the church organized the Altruistic Club. 80% of their donations went to various Cleveland causes, including food support.

It was the Great Depression. 50% of Cleveland males were out of work. It was during that decade that Calvary’s first food ministry began. Calvary hosted a bread line, with folks lining up on the street to get free bread & other food at the church’s building.

Forty years later (1973). Calvary began its first ongoing meal ministry. Calvary’s Sue Duncan began serving daily meals to neighborhood seniors, using food donated from Lutheran Metro Ministries, and the Western Reserve Committee on Aging. Nora Schoonover then led the ministry from 1980-2003 in partnership with the West Side Ecumenical Ministry (WSEM). Under Schoonover the program added shopping trips, social outings, health screenings, and more.

 Weekly Community Meals (begun in 1991 and 2004). In 1991 Calvary began a weekly meal called the Community Meal, in partnership with the other Reformed churches in the area: West Park, Brooklyn, Brunswick, Parkview, and Parma Park. That meal continues to this day under the leadership of Patrice Quinton. Then in 2004 Calvary began a Thursday lunch under the leadership of Opal Martin. That ministry continues to this day as well, under the leadership of Patricia Frye.

 Food Pantries (1994 and 2008). The Share Program was started. It was a food co-op to help people save on groceries and lasted until 1996.

Then around 2008 Calvary began a large Food Pantry and produce ministry. The ministry had two monthly giveaways: one for meat/eggs/pantry items, and the other for fresh fruits & vegetables.

The food pantry ended around 2015, and the produce ministry ended in 2020 during the covid-19 pandemic.