Lake Township FISH marks busy year of service and growth

It may not be news that 2025 has been an especially active year for Lake Township FISH. Here is a recap. As a reminder, Lake Township FISH, which now incorporates the Agape Bread Ministry, has moved to its new home at 13155 Market Ave. N., Hartville. Families in need now have easier access to free food and services throughout the area FISH serves.

Kelsey Wood, director of the consortium of services, said, “I first and foremost want to say thank you to the volunteer team at Lake Township FISH for everything they have done to help keep things running smoothly in our normal operations as we have also been working through our holiday help programs.”

In the past two months alone, the Lake Township Food Pantry served 192 unique families in November, including 29 families new to the pantry. With delays in SNAP benefits, the pantry experienced an increased need and relied heavily on volunteers and donors to meet that demand. The food pantry is open from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays and 6 to 7 p.m. Thursdays. Clients may visit once every two weeks. Donations of perishable and nonperishable food items are accepted on Monday and Wednesday mornings. Those interested in hosting a food drive may contact Wood at director@laketownshipfish.org.

With the help of 62 volunteers, the Thanksgiving Dinner program served 199 families and 601 individuals. Thanksgiving meal bags were delivered to 53 families, while 146 families picked up bags. Each bag included ingredients for a traditional Thanksgiving meal, such as corn, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, sweet potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce.

The Lake Community Christmas program wrapped up Dec. 12. In partnership with Lake Cares, Lake Center Christian School and Love Our Community, Lake Township FISH has helped parents and guardians provide Christmas gifts for children for the past eight years. This year, 83 families were assisted, representing 225 children. “What a blessing it is to be a part of these outreaches during such a vulnerable time,” Wood said.

The Agape Bread Ministry, the newest addition under the Lake Township FISH umbrella, distributed 2,348 trays of bread products to partner groups and organizations. The ministry also served 341 families during open bread hours from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesdays and 9 to 11 a.m. Saturdays.

Looking ahead, Wood said, “As we look ahead to 2026, we’re filled with hope, but we still have work to do. This season is critical for nonprofits like us, and your continued support makes all the difference. Would you consider making a special year-end gift to help us reach our goal of $20,000 by Dec. 31?”

Donations may be mailed, dropped off in person or made online. Through FISH’s partnership with the Akron-Canton Foodbank, each donated dollar goes further and can be allocated where the need is greatest. Donations must be postmarked by Dec. 31 to count toward 2025 giving. Gifts ensure Lake Township FISH can continue serving the community in the year ahead.