How The Friendly Inn benefits the community

Editor’s note: Throughout the holidays and into 2026, The Land worked with a local high school student on her capstone project, an article focused on Friendly Inn. Here is the resulting piece.

The 151-year-old Friendly Inn Settlement is deeply rooted in Cleveland and faces new threats as economic conditions tighten in both Northeast Ohio and across the nation. Settlement President Yolanda Armstrong said she vows to maintain the organization amid the uncertainty. “Our organization is one of those organizations that believes in being part of the solution and not part of the problem”

With over 8,000 people served, 80% of whom live in poverty, The Friendly Inn provides the greater Cleveland community with access to essential resources, ranging from food pantries to career-exploration opportunities. The organization provides these resources in a variety of ways.

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The Friendly Inn has created many programs to fill gaps that Cleveland residents may face, including a food pantry that opens weekly on Wednesdays and Thursdays to distribute produce and other groceries. The Friendly Inn also has a program called Rosie’s Girls, where young girls are introduced to nontraditional career paths for women, such as construction, welding, architecture and manufacturing. They can also participate in hands-on STEM activities presented by certified construction contractors.

Students from Alfred A. Benesch School, located across the street from The Friendly Inn, can take advantage of the Inn’s year-round youth programming. With the recent reduction of SNAP benefits impacting local residents, The Friendly Inn still strives to continue its generations-long practice of serving the community, though in moderation. 

The Friendly Inn also partners with various organizations throughout Cleveland. It works with the Hunger Network to fund weekly food pantries, and partners with the Western Reserve Area LINKS to provide health and wellness workshops for the community.  The support goes both ways, with organizations such as the Cleveland Foundation, Sisters of Charity and Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) funding The Friendly Inn’s computer lab. 

Yolanda Armstrong, president of The Friendly Inn, has witnessed the various changes in economic funding during her tenure. Armstrong said the food pantries have received less funding recently, with average monthly donations decreasing from $3,500 to $2,100 . This occurred because the Cleveland Food Bank is donating less money to The Friendly Inn each month after receiving less money under the Trump Administration. The pantries now operate only once a week instead of twice. Additionally, The Friendly Inn’s Harvest Fest, a safe trick-or-treat alternative for children, was canceled this year due to funding concerns. Decreased government funding, private and foundation donations led Armstrong to consider what The Friendly Inn should focus on and do to continue providing the resources people need. 

“Our mission is to improve the quality of life by cultivating, planting and nurturing individuals and families in the community to be productive citizens so they can stand on their own two feet and be able to move forward in progress in this world economy. That’s our goal,” Armstrong said. “We don’t want people to live in poverty.” 

The Friendly Inn works to assist the people who need it most, and now the question is: What can be done to address the current struggles the organization faces? 

“We will be having our first meeting later this month for our strategic plans and contingency plan. I don’t want to sit back and wait, I want to be proactive,” Armstrong said.  “But this agency has been in existence for a very, very long time. This is not the first time we’ve seen situations like this happen.”  

The first meeting Armstrong mentioned happened on Nov. 8 with The Friendly Inn staff members, during which they discussed two possible plans: one that could go in effect immediately and one that would be more time-consuming. 

The Friendly Inn’s strategic plan is three to five years long. Different solutions could come into play such as increasing fundraising efforts for The Friendly Inn’s after-school programing and food pantries, applying for after-school programing dollars to help continue their youth programs (also known as violence prevention), reducing staff hours and collaborating with different organizations.