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Veterans group seeks $28,000 for memorial repairs; food bank coordinator presents SNAP and hunger data
Summary
A Vermilion Amvets commander asked Erie County for $28,000 to relay bricks at Veterans Memorial Park; Second Harvest coordinator Stephanie King invited commissioners to a poverty simulation and presented local SNAP and food-distribution figures showing increased demand.
Malcom Williams, commander of Vermilion Amvets Post 22, thanked commissioners for a prior contribution toward a granite monument and plaque at Veterans Memorial Park and requested county assistance to relay bricks at the memorial, which he said have become a walking hazard. He estimated the cost at $28,000. Commissioners recommended Mr. Williams pursue a tourism grant through Shores & Islands Ohio and County Administrator Hank Solowiej offered to provide contact information.
Stephanie King, SNAP and Benefits Outreach Program Coordinator for Erie County through Second Harvest Food Bank, invited the commissioners to a Poverty Simulation hosted by Creating Healthy Communities on April 16 and presented recent food-security statistics for Erie County. King reported 2.6 million pounds of food were distributed to 16 partner pantries in 2024 (a 13% increase from 2023); she said 650 additional individuals received SNAP from January 2024 to January 2025 and an additional 120 individuals were added from January to February 2025. King further stated that 9,000 residents currently receive SNAP, totaling $1,644,492 in benefits from January to February 2025.
Commissioners thanked King for the information and recorded their support for community outreach and awareness efforts. No formal county funding decision for the Veterans Memorial repairs was made at the meeting.
