Easter Meal Initiative Serves Thousands in Northeast Ohio

Posted on
By JohnPosted In: Charity ActivityTagged: , , , , ,

Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland provided free Easter meals to thousands across Northeast Ohio, a region where poverty and food insecurity present significant challenges. With Cleveland’s poverty rate exceeding 30% and nearly one-fifth of county residents struggling to secure adequate nutrition, this service addressed crucial community needs.

The meals were distributed both through home delivery and in-person service at the Bishop William M. Cosgrove Center in downtown Cleveland. Approximately 300 volunteers participated in food preparation, packaging, and delivery efforts.

Jim Mullen, CEO and president of Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland, emphasized that the initiative serves purposes beyond basic nourishment. “We hope they get some sense that people care about them,” Mullen explained, noting holidays often intensify feelings of isolation for those without social connections.

This Easter meal program is one component of Catholic Charities’ year-round response to regional food insecurity, which disproportionately affects Black and Latino communities. Economic pressures, including low median incomes and rising food costs, have increased vulnerability for many households, particularly since pandemic-era assistance programs ended.

The Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland also provides other services including mental health counseling, substance use treatment, adoption and foster care, early childhood education, and disability support. They also offer emergency assistance with food, housing, and utilities, as well as employment services and programs for seniors, youth, and immigrant or refugee communities. The organization continuously seeks volunteers to support their ongoing efforts to assist vulnerable populations throughout Northeast Ohio.

Powering a Greener Future

Posted on
By JohnPosted In: EnvironmentTagged: , , ,

“Recycle My Battery,” a nonprofit organization founded in 2019, has established more than 1,000 recycling collection points and collected over 625,000 batteries for proper disposal. The New Jersey-based initiative was created by Nihal Tammana when he was just 10 years old after learning about a lithium-ion battery explosion at a waste facility.

The organization’s primary mission addresses a significant environmental concern: improperly discarded batteries can contaminate ecosystems and pose safety hazards. Research conducted by the nonprofit demonstrates that alkaline batteries can alter soil pH to levels that inhibit plant growth, while lithium-ion batteries present fire and explosion risks when compacted in waste facilities.

Through community education programs and “The Battery Challenge” initiative designed for schools, Recycle My Battery raises awareness about proper disposal methods while making recycling accessible. The organization emphasizes that battery recycling produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions and requires less energy and water consumption compared to raw material extraction.

With approximately 1,000 volunteers worldwide, the nonprofit has expanded internationally, collaborating with Australia’s largest battery recycling company and seeing its educational materials featured in German textbooks. The organization is also developing innovative technology to harvest residual energy from used batteries—a project validated by researchers at the University of Waterloo.

Recycle My Battery aims to reach one million recycled batteries by the end of this year and create measurable positive impact through targeted waste reduction efforts. In the words of its now 15-year-old founder, “if I can make the Earth a better place to live, you can…. If you can, we all can.”

Bridging Gaps, One Conversation at a Time

Posted on
By JohnPosted In: EducationTagged: , , ,

There’s something grounding about watching people come together over shared purpose—especially when that purpose spans generations, backgrounds, and perspectives.

At MetLife Stadium, nearly 100,000 people filled the stands not for a game, but for the 13th Siyum HaShas—marking the completion of the Talmud cycle, where participants study a page of Talmud each day for over seven years. It was a rare kind of moment: joyful, emotional, and deeply rooted in something bigger than any one individual.

And yet, as monumental as it felt, it was also about something small and consistent—showing up each day, page by page. That quiet kind of consistency runs through so many efforts happening right now. In programs like Kesher Yehudi bring people together for one-on-one learning, often bridging social and cultural divides in the process. There’s no fanfare—just conversation, empathy, and a growing sense of mutual respect.

In classrooms across the U.S., thousands of middle schoolers are engaged in daily Mishnah study through All Mishnah Jr., a program to grow thanks to engaging materials, strong leadership, and tools like the ArtScroll Mishnah series that make learning more accessible for young students. Each day, another page, another spark of curiosity.

Much of this work is made possible thanks to a network of people who care deeply—not for recognition, but for results. Supporters like Ralph Rieder, and others have helped ensure these initiatives not only continue but thrive. Their involvement tends to happen offstage, but the effects are felt every day. Because lasting change rarely announces itself. It shows up in small steps, steady hands, and people who choose to invest where it matters most.