Our Founder
Sister Jordan Haddad
Dominican Sister of Peace
Good Samaritan Hunger Center (GSHC) was the vision of Sister Jordan Haddad, a Dominican Sister of Peace who passed away in 2006. Sister Jordan was fierce in her fight to garner love and respect for those experiencing hardships. She founded GSHC in 1982 with the vision that “one day no man, woman or child would go hungry."
“She insisted that you give the poor the same love and respect as anyone else. She woke us up to a lot of things and reminded us that everyone deserves dignity and respect,” said Sr. Mary Ann Wiesemann–Mills, prioress of the Sisters of St. Dominic.
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Sister Jordan was a tireless advocate for the homeless and the needy throughout her life. Along with founding the GSHC, she also helped the Summit County Catholic Commission develop ACCESS, a shelter for homeless women and children; organized the first Salvation Army Christian Kettle in Portage County; and established the Center of Hope in Ravenna, the County Clothing Center in Ravenna and the Kent Hot Lunch Program.
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“She just had a great love for people,” said Sister Mary Ann. “She was so sure about her mission. She was always a fierce advocate for people who were disadvantaged in any way.”
GSHC Today
Over 40 Years Serving Greater Akron
Across our combined programs, we served over 30,000 individuals in 2023 (duplicated)
Good Samaritan Hunger Center has expanded its programming over the last 40+ years to reflect the community’s evolving needs. Today, it functions as a mobile food pantry, taking its services directly to communities that need it most, and meeting people where they are. Our key programs include:
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Weekly Food Distribution: In 2023, GSHC administered 385,259 pounds of packaged food and 136,237 pounds of produce across 5 locations in the Akron area. Each distribution consists of a three-five day food supply.
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Kid's Bag Program: Volunteers meet every Wednesday to assemble bags filled with food for school students for the weekend. The students served by this program rely heavily on the food served in school, and therefore may go hungry during the weekend. In 2023, we increased the number of schools served to 17, serving over 2,500 students per month.
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Senior Box Program: Senior boxes (Commodity Supplemental Food Program - CSFP) are distributed once a month to seniors who are 60+ and meet income guidelines. These boxes provide an additional 30 lbs of food for seniors. In 2023, we distributed approximately 24,000 lbs of food in these boxes.