As shoppers walked around the Greater Cleveland Food Bank's Community Resource Center, they chose items off the shelves to fill their grocery bags. G Joel Bitonio and C Ethan Pocic helped pass out turkeys and hams to shoppers before various players and volunteers loaded their groceries into cars.

On Monday, Nov. 25, Browns players, alumni and staff, as well as members of Stripes United – comprised of coaches' and players' significant others – and Sugardale representatives joined the Greater Cleveland Food Bank to help neighbors shop for free, nutritious food ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Volunteers also stocked shelves, loaded vehicles and assisted operations as needed.

"The Cleveland Food Bank does so much for the community," Bitonio said. "I think hunger and food awareness are some of the big things that we can help with in our communities. And it's awesome to just come back and try and help out, especially around Thanksgiving. There are other events throughout the year, but Thanksgiving is a time where families want to get together and eat and enjoy the food. And so, to be able to come out here and enjoy, interact with some of the people, pass out some turkeys and ham, is a special day."

The Greater Cleveland Food Bank Community Resource Center has been open for one year, with their mission to reduce barriers providing access to healthy food and social service agencies. The facility not only houses a market for those to come and shop but offers other programs to serve as a one-stop resource center. Individuals have access to services to assist with housing, employment and health care. The resource center also collaborates with other non-profits, such as Shoes and Clothes for Kids, to address root causes of food insecurity.

Karen Pozna, the Director of Communications at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, said the Community Resource Center alone serves about 500 families each day. In 2023, the Cleveland Food Bank served over 424,000 people in their six-county service territory, including 100,000 individuals who sought help for the first time. The resource center has also become a model for food banks around the country.

"This is a completely new experience for so many of the folks that are here today," Pozna said. "Being able to meet the neighbors firsthand, walk with the neighbors, load their cars and really get to talk to them about their experience, I think it really adds a whole new level of volunteering for them and just seeing the benefit of what they're doing."

As part of the event, Sugardale, the presenting partner for the 2024 Browns Give Back Greater Cleveland Food Bank visit, provided 54,681 pounds worth of ham products and food to the organization, which will provide over 45,547 meals to members of the community. This is the second year Sugardale has partnered with the Browns on the Greater Cleveland Food Bank visit.

"We were able to donate over 50,000 pounds of ham products for the local community. So not only Cleveland, but Northeast Ohio as a whole, being able to get a ham on their table for Thanksgiving, for the holiday with their family, means a lot to us and making sure that our products are accessible for them," Emily Dominik, Marketing Manager for Sugardale. "We love to have a presence in the community. Obviously, having the partners of the Cleveland Browns as an arm of that is wonderful. So, getting our marketing team and our staff members involved and getting to see the families that we're helping this season is truly invaluable."

The 2024 Browns rookie class – comprised of DB Chigozie Anusiem, DT Jowon Briggs, G Javion Cohen, CB Myles Harden, LB Winston Reid, WR Jamari Thrash, LB Nathaniel Watson, DB Chris Edmonds, OL Lorenzo Thompson and G Zak Zinter – was also onsite to assist the Greater Cleveland Food Bank in various capacities, including loading vehicles with food items to assisting neighbors with their shopping and stocking the shelves of the healthy choice market. Several other Browns players including Bitonio, Pocic and LS Rex Sunahara contributed during one-hour blocks throughout the afternoon.

Browns alumni – including Greg Pruitt, David Mays, Al Jenkins, Dave Puzzuoli, Steve Zahursky, Cleo Miller and Jamie Meder – also volunteered to assist in shopping, stocking shelves and loading cars.

"As much as we can get out in the community is special," Bitonio said. "We appreciate the fans and really the Cleveland community, what they've done for us as players and as a team. And so, for the number of guys that come out here, it's pretty special. I know the rookies are making a pack but having other guys like (Ethan Pocic) and some of the older players out here too, I just think it shows like, hey, we appreciate your support, and we want to support you as well."

The gathering is one of many jointly hosted events by the Browns and Greater Cleveland Food Bank, a First and Ten community partner, as they team up to help fight hunger and ensure families have access to nutritious meals throughout the year, particularly during high times of need like the holidays.

Each year, the Browns and Greater Cleveland Food Bank partner for Taste of the Browns, which features Cleveland's top chefs and raises money and awareness to combat hunger in the local community. This past September, the 26^th Annual Taste of the Browns was co-chaired by Bitonio, Browns Alumni Hanford Dixon and Chef Rocco Whalen of Fahrenheit and hosted at Huntington Bank Field. The event helped to raise enough funding to provide over 1 million meals across the Greater Cleveland community.

"The Cleveland Browns have been an amazing partner to the food bank for several years, and we cannot thank them enough for their support – both the monetary support as well as the volunteer support – especially during the holidays," Pozna said. "This is one of our busiest times of the year. And for so many staff and so many players to come out today and give their time is tremendously helpful."

To learn more about the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and to get involved, visit their website.