September 12, 2025
Several members of Kendal at Oberlin’s Woodshop committee have been busy creating custom carts for use in the food pantry at Oberlin Community Services.
Woodshop members contributed over 120 hours of work to create the large brightly colored rolling carts. They will be used to transport produce from the warehouse and display in the pantry. The following residents (pictured) participated in the project: Carl Whitehouse, Rich Kish, Pete Richards, John McBride, J. Loux and Barbara Whitehouse, who noted that painting was her specialty. Carl Whitehouse is a former OCS board member, and organizer of the group.
“It was fun, but also a lot of hard work,” said Whitehouse. “These are guys who are active in the woodshop. They’re in there every week doing something, and they have a body of knowledge on how to build things to last.”
The finished carts are sturdy enough to hold thousands of pounds of vegetables, while still light enough to move around the OCS pantry and warehouse at the Cooper Community Resource Center, 500 E. Lorain St., Oberlin.
The carts are also low enough that pantry clients with physical disabilities can easily reach healthy options. That’s important for visitors who are older, have mobility challenges, or physical limitations that make it hard to reach higher shelves.
“Folks who come to the pantry often tell us about their health issues, from back and joint pain to major surgeries that restrict how they can move,” said Eli Butler, assistant food programs coordinator at OCS. “These tables will make it a lot easier for people with medical and mobility issues to get food that has a lot of health benefits.”
The new produce carts were built using a $455 mini-grant from Ohio SNAP-Ed, which is administered by the Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Kendal at Oberlin carpenters who built the carts also pitched in an additional $229 toward materials.
About Kendal at Oberlin
Kendal at Oberlin is a vibrant, diverse, inclusive, and caring nonprofit life plan community serving older adults in northeast Ohio. Located about one mile from Oberlin College and Conservatory, and about a 40 minute drive from downtown Cleveland, Kendal offers a resident-led lifestyle with access to music, art, and lifelong learning.
About Oberlin Community Services
Oberlin Community Services’ mission is to empower area residents through emergency assistance, food programs, and other services while promoting systemic change. Its success depends on the community’s generosity — nearly half of OCS’ annual operating budget comes from donations .
The above photo was taken on Monday, July 21, just before the carts were to be delivered to Oberlin Community Services.