Cyclists Charlotte McGowan, Wendy Kozol, and Steven Wojtal will each pedal 70 miles on Saturday, April 26 to raise funds for the OCS food pantry! The ride will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., starting and ending at the Cooper Community Resource Center, 500 E. Lorain St., Oberlin. You can donate to the ride here or by check to Oberlin Community Services at the above address.
Your donation helps us run Lorain County’s largest food pantry, which helps 350 to 400 families each week on average.
YOU CAN EVEN RIDE ALONG! Join Pedal for the Pantry for a few miles, a 35-mile leg, or do laps in the OCS parking lot to be part of the fun. There is no registration fee, but we ask that everyone who rides make a donation of at least $20 to support the OCS food pantry. You can also urge family and friends to donate to the OCS pantry in support of YOUR ride.
NEW FOR THE 2025 RIDE
• Previously held in the fall, this fundraiser has been moved to the spring! We believe this will make it easier for more riders of all ages to take part.
• Charlotte will ride 70 miles in honor of OCS’ 70th anniversary! We were founded in 1955 and throughout the year will be paying tribute to our history with special events and promotions.
• The ride will be divided into two 35-mile legs. Anyone who donates at least $20 on the day of the ride can join Charlotte, Wendy, and Steven! You don’t have to go all 70 miles — you can ride for any length of time/distance. We’d especially love to have a ton of riders at the starting line.
• The timing of the fall ride, right at the beginning of the semester, made it difficult for many Oberlin College students and employees to join in. We’d love to have you involved in both riding and donating! Sports teams, Conservatory ensembles, academic departments, clubs, co-ops and other college groups are encouraged to be part of the fun.
WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT
The OCS pantry got food to 7,429 unique people in 2024. We saw a tremendous increase in the number of families coming to OCS, how often they come, and families using a food pantry for the very first time.
Take, for example, “Brenda,” a 43-year-old woman who was laid off in the middle of last year. She told us how hard it’s been to find another job that pays as much, and how her family has been forced to make very hard budget decisions. Coming to the OCS choice pantry, “Brenda” was relieved to take food home to her three children. Another client is “Jim,” a 71-year-old retiree on a fixed income. Medical bills related to a permanent disability chew up a big part of his monthly budget, and he simply can’t afford to buy groceries at their current prices. “Jim” said he doesn’t know how he’d survive without the OCS pantry.
These are real people with real names, faces, fears, hopes, and dreams. They may live next door to you. They may appear on the outside to have everything figured out. They may wear nice clothes or drive nice cars, but still be struggling. Many who get food from OCS are children who have little or no control over whether they have food to eat.
OCS is here to help folks who are having a hard time meeting their basic needs. You can be part of the OCS mission by giving generously! Together, we can work toward a sustainable and thriving community where everyone flourishes.