TOLEDO, Ohio — The Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank, a nonprofit based in downtown, provides services to Williams, Fulton, Lucas, Defiance, Henry, Wood, Ottawa and Sandusky County.
Every year, the food bank hosts different events for the community to participate and give back.
This year, for the seventh time, participants returned to Catawba Island for the Catawba Island Golf Classic.
More than 20 teams and 84 players played with the proceeds going to fight hunger in counties across northwest Ohio.
Barabara Hoffstetter, the food bank's director of operations, said the tournament is a great way for people to have fun while giving back.
"To just enjoy the environment and the people and doing that while helping their community is a great compliment," she said.
The tournament was a success, too, Hoffstetter added. Tickets were sold out and more than $15,000 was generated for the food bank.
She said the food bank plans to use the proceeds to expand its services.
"We want to partner more deeply with the counties that we serve, with the businesses that are out there, with the organizations, with the people, with the agencies," she said. "We want them to know we're here and we're here for them."
Every penny counts at the bank, no matter how big or small the donation is.
"For every dollar that we can receive in, we can provide five meals," Hoffstetter said. "It makes a tremendous difference not only to us but to Ottawa County."
The Refreshing Place, a central Toledo ministry organization, has a no-cost food and clothing bank that partners with the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank.
"I've always wanted to be a blessing to someone and God has put me in a position at the Refreshing Place to be able to do that," said Anna Rayford, Refreshing Place ministry leader. "There is such a great need that people have for food and other items and we are also blessed to provide other items for them as well."
Hoffstetter said she wants the community to know the food bank is there for anyone's needs, from food to toiletries to household items.
"(We want) to make sure that people know we are here, that we are one of the safety nets in the area they can rely on in times of need so that they don't have to make tough choices between food or medicine, food or electric bills or food and rent," she said.