TV cooking star Rachael Ray helps struggling Ohio town still ravaged by loss of major employer

Associated Press

Last update: November 8, 2009 - 8:03 PM

WILMINGTON, Ohio - Television cooking star Rachael Ray is boosting the local food supply for a struggling Ohio town.

On Saturday, Ray brought a Wilmington soup kitchen new appliances, shelves and furniture. Ray's show also promised to supply food for the kitchen for the next year.

The soup kitchen is getting as many customers in a day as it did in a week a year ago.

Wilmington is still reeling from the departure of DHL Express and other Wilmington Air Park operations, which has left a 15 percent local unemployment rate in its wake.

On Sunday, the Food Network star hosted an early Thanksgiving feast for the community. The soup kitchen improvements and the Thanksgiving meal are scheduled to be featured on "The Rachael Ray Show" on Nov. 25.

Recent TV/DVD/Gaming stories

Advocacy groups claim they chased Lou Dobbs off CNN but cable head says pressure didn't do it - November 8, 2009

Advocacy groups claim they chased Lou Dobbs off CNN but cable head says pressure didn't do it - CNN moved swiftly to replace Lou Dobbs in its nightly lineup with John King, who said Thursday that all views would be welcome on his politically-oriented talk show when it debuts early next year. More