ROOTSTOWN – As coronavirus forced changes to the hospitality sector, The New Center at Northeast Ohio Medical University found itself fulfilling a new role at the school.
The center’s ballrooms were converted to classrooms to allow courses to carry on with social distancing, while restaurants had to change to carry-out services. To get fresh food to students, faculty and staff, The New Center launched an online ordering system, which has delivered nearly 2,000 meals across campus and to the community.
Staff at The New Center also worked to raise $10,000 to provide meals to the local community, including 250 meals to UH Portage Medical Center and 1,200 to BioMed Science Academy and Rootstown schools.
The center served as a testing site for COVID-19 four times and as a polling place Nov. 3, while also hosting small weddings, Red Cross blood drives and corporate events. On Thanksgiving, The New Center hosted a catered to-go meal service.
“As the hospitality industry rebounds, The New Center remains positioned to make its return as a leader in the northeastern Ohio event and meeting landscape,” says sales director Amanda Senn. “Inquiries and demand for future events at The New Center remain encouragingly strong.”