In the basement at the Corinthian Hunger Center on East 55th, a small crew of volunteers in their 70s is still hauling cases that can top 80 pounds and bagging groceries for neighbors who cannot afford enough food. Those older helpers are the backbone of dozens of neighborhood pantries in Cleveland’s Hunger Network, yet the pool of people who can handle that kind of physical work is shrinking. Across the city, pantries are juggling shorter hours, heavier shifts and the looming question of what happens when long-time volunteers can no longer show up.
Volunteers like Charlie Brown and Deacon Johnny Collins are still there week after week, unloading trucks, running conveyors and packing to-go bags even as the network’s caseload keeps climbing. The Hunger Network told reporters it has seen more than a 60% jump in individuals served between 2021 and 2025, with last year’s total reaching roughly 593,038 people. Staff and volunteers say the strain has already pushed some sites to scale back operations and to explore new approaches, including whether modest stipends might help keep regular volunteers on board, as reported by Signal Cleveland.
Volunteers Are Aging, And Replacements Are Hard To Find
The Hunger Network’s own materials describe a wide volunteer base, with more than 2,000 people supporting over 70 hunger centers across Cuyahoga County. On the ground, though, program staff say most pantry shifts are still covered by retirees and older church members. Younger residents often have less flexibility for the hands-on work of unloading, stocking and distributing groceries, which makes planning for who comes next feel urgent.
Local public-media reporting and the network’s website both highlight how the mix of heavy lifting and irregular schedules can chase off would-be recruits before they settle into regular shifts, according to Ideastream Public Media.
Policy Shifts And Rising Prices Are Pushing More People In
Local reporting shows Cuyahoga County lost more than 11,000 SNAP enrollees in a recent six-month stretch, and county leaders warn that thousands more could be affected as new work requirements roll out, as reported by Signal Cleveland. At the same time, consumer prices in the Midwest increased about 4.1% for the 12 months ending in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, squeezing household budgets and pushing more people to seek pantry help.
Those twin pressures, fewer benefits and higher costs, are colliding with the volunteer shortfall and making it tougher for sites that rely on unpaid labor to keep up with the growing need.
What Might Keep Pantries Open
Pantry leaders say there is no simple fix. Options on the table include hiring paid staff to handle the heaviest logistics, offering small stipends for regular shifts, building clear succession plans within congregations and rethinking distribution models so the work is less physically punishing. Any of those changes would require steady funding and coordination among nonprofits, the county and the city, and local officials say those conversations are already happening.
For now, though, the system leans on older volunteers who keep neighborhood pantries running week after week. Their aging ranks are a warning sign that Cleveland’s emergency food safety net will need both money and fresh faces if it is going to keep pace with demand.
