‘The Real Black Friday’ teaming up with Cleveland-area restaurant to deliver 500 meals to seniors and children

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Navigating life through the coronavirus pandemic has been challenging to everyone. It’s also put extreme stress on senior citizens.

The Real Black Friday organization and Black Box Fix restaurant are joining forces to feed seniors to ease some of their worries.

LaRese Purnell and Eric Rogers are the organizers.

Purnell said he’s talked with resident managers of several properties across Cleveland. He keeps hearing about the challenges seniors face when it comes to transportation and finances.

“Less than half of the seniors have families that come see them, and a lot are on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and are running out of resources,” Purnell said. “It’s not just about giving a meal, but it’s also about putting a smile on their faces.”

Volunteers will be cooking and assembling meals Thursday. They’ll then load them into vehicles and begin delivering to seven residential buildings across Cleveland. They plan to deliver close to 400 meals.

With health and safety top of mind, volunteers will be leaving the meals outside residents’ doors to avoid face-to-face contact. Purnell said building managers will let residents know a specific time to open their doors to retrieve their meal.

The groups plan to feed 100 area children on Friday.

Purnell said organizers are working to provide this service again and welcome any donations.

Purnell can be reached through his social media account.

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