Local

Belleria thanks firefighters with cavatelli dinner

By Jess Hardin
Belleria Pizza and the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley combined to feed Struthers and Youngstown firefighters and first responders with pizza, cavatelli and antipasto salad. Bob Sass, in the foreground, a cook for the Struthers Belleria, and Frank Lellio and Bob Camardo, owners, load the food that was to be delivered by volunteers. (Bob Yosay/Mahoning Matters)
Belleria Pizza and the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley combined to feed Struthers and Youngstown firefighters and first responders with pizza, cavatelli and antipasto salad. Bob Sass, in the foreground, a cook for the Struthers Belleria, and Frank Lellio and Bob Camardo, owners, load the food that was to be delivered by volunteers. (Bob Yosay/Mahoning Matters)

STRUTHERS — Local firefighters were thanked for their service during the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday in a classic Mahoning Valley way — with steaming pans of cavatelli and meatballs.

Wanting to show support for first responders, Frank Frattaroli, owner of Belleria in Struthers, reached out to United Way of Youngstown and Mahoning Valley.

The United Way has been managing food distribution during the coronavirus pandemic.

"We've been working closely with the city of Youngstown on food distribution, working with the city schools. The firefighters have played a big role in it," said Roxann Sebrest, director of marketing at the United Way.

"We felt that we needed to do something," Frattaroli said in a news release about the event.

Belleria donated enough cavatelli, meatballs, salad and rolls to feed seven Youngstown fire stations and two Struthers fire stations.

This isn't the first time a local business partnered up with the United Way to show support to local workers during the pandemic. Last month, United Way teamed up with One Hot Cookie to thank grocery store employees at Giant Eagle.

"We saw how hard they were working and we took cookies to them, thanks to One Hot Cookie," said Sebrest.

Sebrest hopes to continue partnering with local businesses to show support for front line workers, especially local first responders. She has been in contact with U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland to expand the idea.

"They risk their lives every day for us, and right now it's even riskier considering all that's going on," said Sebrest.

This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 4:52 AM with the headline "Belleria thanks firefighters with cavatelli dinner."