Passion project founded in Sagamore Hills helps East Cleveland’s needy
by Kathleen Gaivin
With their feet planted firmly on the ground, Sagamore Hills Trustee John Zaccardelli and his wife Dorie aim to take love and the gospel to the four corners of the globe while developing relationships with those they serve.
The couple founded the faith-based nonprofit ministry 4 Corners City Outreach more than 10 years ago. With a core team of six to 10 volunteers, 4 Corners serves the homeless and poor in Cleveland and East Cleveland, providing hot meals, clothing, hygiene items and prayer.
“We have a passion to do this. We did it back in the ’90s and started up again in 2009,” John said.
They have partnered with the Salvation Army from the beginning and officially established 4 Corners City Outreach as a 503(c)(3) organization on Sept. 11, 2014, according to Dorie, librarian at Rushwood Elementary School. She said they wanted to go out on their own and solicit donations to be of more help.
The Zaccardellis receive monetary as well as clothing and hygiene items from people who have helped in the past and from several churches, including St. Barnabas Catholic Church in Northfield, Grace Brethren Church in Macedonia, River of Life Community Church in Hudson and St. Joseph Catholic Church in Cuyahoga Falls.
John said it is not unusual for him to come home from work and find bags of donations waiting on the front porch. The most needed items for the poor and homeless are jackets and socks, he said.
“Donations go right to the people, from our garage to the shelters,” he said.
The Zaccardellis and their band of volunteers go to the Salvation Army on Doan Street in East Cleveland on the third Friday of the month to serve a hot meal, provide clothing and hygiene items to those in need, distribute Bibles and offer prayer and support.
Many who come to the Salvation Army are East Cleveland families, Dorie said. She said they offer to-go containers for clients to take food to their family at home.
They also help the homeless. “Some homeless walk there because they know we are there,” she said.
The charity is following CDC guidelines while distributing food and allowing clients to sift through clothing. The ministry takes place outdoors, and Dorie said they provide masks and gloves to everyone.
For Thanksgiving, River of Life Community Church donated 32 Blessing Baskets. Each 18-gallon tote was filled with turkey and the trimmings for a family of four.
“We had to rent a van just to get them down there,” John said.
He said that River of Life Pastor Joe Daltorio has been supportive of the ministry from the beginning.
Before March, 4 Corners City Outreach would go from the Salvation Army to the Lutheran Men’s Shelter at 2100 Lakeside Ave. in downtown Cleveland where they would serve hot meals to 200-250 people. John said they haven’t ministered at the men’s shelter recently due to strict pandemic guidelines. They will return once they are permitted to enter the facility.
“We’ve done the best we can to adapt,” he said.
It takes about four days to prepare for the monthly outreach. An email goes out to volunteers on Monday, and the group decides on a meal. By Wednesday, it’s time to shop and prepare food and sort clothing. They load the car and head to East Cleveland at 4 p.m. on Friday.
“It can be challenging at times,” John said.
He said Chik-Fil-A in Macedonia has often given sandwiches to distribute.
The Zaccardellis value the people they have met through the ministry.
“The whole ministry is relationship-based,” John said. “We’re the ‘Akron people’ for some reason. They call me ‘pastor,’ which I’m not. The relationships we’ve developed have been amazing.”
“We’ve seen families get out of their situation, helped them get on their feet and helped furnish apartments,” Dorie said, ticking off the names of people they’ve gotten to know over the years.
The couple also helps out in northern Summit County as directors of the area Salvation Army service unit. They have an annual $20,000 budget to pay utilities for folks in danger of having them cut off in Sagamore Hills, Northfield Center, Northfield Village, Macedonia, Twinsburg, Twinsburg Township, Reminderville and Hudson.
The Salvation Army helps cover utilities only. The Zaccardellis are able to use 4 Corners City Outreach to offer other types of assistance. For example, Dorie said they got a call from the Salvation Army that a family would need to wait a couple of days before there would be space for them together at a shelter.
“We were able to go to a hotel and pay for two nights until the family could get into a shelter on Monday,” she said.
To donate to 4 Corners City Outreach, text or call 440-724-5186. To seek assistance, contact the Salvation Army service unit at 330-802-4309.
Feature image photo caption: 4 Corners City Outreach founders John Zaccardelli and his wife Dorie (center) serve a hot meal at the Lutheran Men’s Shelter in downtown Cleveland with volunteers Mike Pavlantos (l) and James Knoles. The faith-based ministry has been committed to helping the homeless and poor in Cleveland and East Cleveland for 10 years. Photo courtesy J. Zaccardelli
