The Friendly Inn has temporarily closed its weekly food pantry and is no longer hosting a weekly hot meal. The news came as a surprise to Central community members who use the pantry and meal as some of their main food resources. 

Listening Team member La Queta Worley, who grew up in Central, had her ears open  in the community  when she came across the news of the pantry’s closing. Thanks to her tip, I was able to connect  with Friendly Inn CEO Yolanda Armstrong to get some answers.

When asked about the abrupt closing of the pantry, Armstrong said that while it was a difficult decision, she believes it was the right decision.

“There are some changes taking place at the Friendly Inn right now, which I can’t fully discuss at this time,” Armstrong said. “What I will say is that the [pantry] closing is temporary, and we made sure to connect residents with other food pantries in the community that they can utilize until we open again.”

Armstrong said Friendly Inn must comply with the Food Bank and Hunger Networks policies and procedures.

Friendly Inn pantry plans

“When we met with the Hunger Network and Food Bank, we came to the decision to focus on making sure our volunteers have the proper training needed to make our pantry run as smoothly as possible,” Armstrong said. “We will also have a change in leadership, as Johnny Robinson, our current vice president of programming, will take the lead on the pantry when it reopens on Feb. 7th.’’

Armstrong personally understands the role the pantry plays in the community. 

“I remember the days when my family had to wait in line to receive food for the week, it was no joke,” she said. “It’s an important community resource and will absolutely be back. We thank the community for their patience.”

Friendly Inn partners with the Hunger Network and the Greater Cleveland Food Bank to run the pantry. All three organizations say changes need to happen in order for the pantry to continue to operate, but it is expected to reopen on Feb. 7. 

New Collaboration

Armstrong told Signal Cleveland that while there is no longer a hot meal program at Friendly Inn, the group is still providing some community members with food service. They have started a free hot meal program for seniors in the Central community in partnership with Council Member Richard Starr. 

“Each month, Councilman Starr chooses a housing estate in the Central community, and the Friendly Inn prepares and delivers 150 or so hot meals to them. This was a much-needed service,” Armstrong said. “We started this collaboration in November around Thanksgiving, and since then have been able to serve over 1,000 meals.”

Armstrong said the plan is to continue the meal delivery service until the end of 2024 and then decide where to go from there. 

Looking for funding

After 16 years of serving the community, Project Save ended its weekly community meal program at the Friendly Inn this month. When Signal Cleveland spoke with CEO and founder of Project Save, Carl Cook, he said there were several reasons. 

“Funding was a big part of it. A lot of this is about money,” Cook said. “We aren’t a big agency, but I’ve been doing this for a very long time. It requires some level of support.”

Cook also said he believes a behavioral health service provider is looking to take over the office space that Project Save was using, forcing him to find an alternative location. 

“Mental health services are important, the community needs that,” Cook said. “But no one said to me. ‘Hey, Mr. Cook, let’s sit down and find out how we can keep you in this community.’ I’ve been there for so long, and my concern is the lack of transparency in how they did it.”

Signal Cleveland asked the Friendly Inn for comment about a behavioral health service moving in as Cook referenced; officials declined to comment.

‘That area is a food desert’

Cook is currently the meal director at St. Herman House in Ohio City, which serves three community meals a day. As he awaits new funding for Project Save, he said, he has spoken with some potential partners, including Shiloh Baptist Church and St. Vincent Sisters of Charity about continuing the hot meal program. Cook is hoping to find somewhere in the Central community to continue his services.

“That area is a food desert,” Cook said. “The people that showed up really needed that food. Just last week the families that would come to the Friendly Inn piled up in their cars and came to St. Herman. We put in a lot of work to build those relationships. They said to me, ‘Mr. Cook, we are trying to follow you over here, we need you.’ That made me want to cry.”

Signal Cleveland used the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s hot meal finder to look for other places Central  residents could get a meal. The site lists two locations within a mile of the Friendly Inn, Faith Community Center and St. Andrews Episcopal church on East 49th street.

Cook is asking community members who know of a space that could be utilized in Central for the hot meal program to reach out to him at [email protected]

If you have a tip about something going on in your community, please email me at [email protected]

The Friendly Inn Food Pantry is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, Feb. 7.
The hours of operation will be:
Wednesday 12 p.m.- 2 p.m. and Thursday 10 a.m.- 12 p.m.
ID and proof of residency are required.

If you or someone you know is looking for food or a hot meal, the Cleveland Food Bank partners with agencies throughout Northeast Ohio.
Find help through their interactive map or by calling their Help Center at 216.738.2067.

You can also find food services by calling United Way 2-1-1.