he West Ohio Food Bank will open registration Dec. 1 for its Dec. 8 food distribution, expanding hours to meet growing demand across its 11-county service area.

Inside the Civic Center, hundreds of volunteers spend the day before and the day of Thanksgiving preparing and serving thousands of meals for the community feast.

The 2025 Community Thanksgiving Meal, hosted by Compassionate Ministries of Lima, returns Thursday at the Veterans Memorial Civic Center, continuing a decades-long tradition of welcoming anyone seeking food and fellowship.

Support has continued to pour in for Lima families as part of the Stronger Together Fund.

The West Ohio Food Bank is a lifeline for hundreds of area seniors, helping ensure they have meals on the table.

The Lima Area Browns Backers held their annual food drive, donating hundreds of pounds of food and raising money to support the West Ohio Food Bank and fight local hunger.

Rev. Arthur Butler, president of the Lima Black Ministerial Alliance, said the organization felt compelled to step in.

“We felt like it was very important, because we see struggling families throughout our ministries,” Butler said. “Our kids are in the vicinity, and when they can’t be fed, it’s time for us to stand up and feed our children and to get on board with what needs to be done to protect our community.”

Superior Credit Union is helping feed families across western Ohio as food insecurity is on the rise.