Who We Are: Our History and Mission
We are the Hunger Ministry of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Westlake, Ohio. We support hunger centers and food programs throughout Northeast Ohio. Over the course of our history, we’ve raised over $1.5 million for the various hunger centers and food programs we support.
We started as “Food Friends” in 1981 when two women, Marge Vicko and Lillian Borgman, created St. Paul’s Co-op Benevolence Program which helped five Hunger Centers in Greater Cleveland. Later, our program became known as Helping Hands, then AAL Food Friends of Northeast Ohio, then the Thrivent St. Paul Lutheran Mary’s Food Friends/ Hunger Ministry Service Team.
Since 2000, Chairwoman Mary Levtzow and Treasurer Eunice Snyder have led the charge.

Mary Levtzow

Regardless of the name, throughout our history, we’ve supported many hunger centers and food programs across Northeast Ohio and we continue to strive to meet the ever-increasing calls for help.
In 2020, we adopted the name “Hunger Warriors” to reinforce our mission: showing God’s love and mercy by fighting to end hunger and help those in need.
We ask that you pray for us as we serve our community and invite you to get involved. There are so many ways you can help. Learn more about donation and volunteer opportunities, then contact us to become a Hunger Warrior.
Daily Hunger Warrior Prayer
We thank God for His blessings and ask for His wisdom in helping our hunger ministry raise awareness and funds to assist area hunger programs and reach our annual goal of $43,000.