Julie Chase-Morefield

Julie Chase-Morefield became the president and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio in 2004. With more than two decades of food bank experience in Ohio, Chase-Morefield has chosen to spend the most recent years with people she knows and serving the local communities she loves.

Established in 1982, Second Harvest works with more than 130 partners providing food assistance and combating food insecurity. In 2025, the organization (which works with 3,000 volunteers) distributed 11 ½ million pounds of food. With Chase-Morefield’s guidance, a $5.1 million capital campaign built a 41,000-square-foot headquarters. Also, new and expanded school-based and mobile food pantries, as well as improved food access in cities, have flourished under her leadership.

 

What drew you to making the availability of food for everyone your mission?

 

“Even in high school, I had the idea of working for a nonprofit, even if I didn’t necessarily know what the term meant back then. It wasn’t until years later that I made the connection to my own family history. My mom actually grew up in poverty and she and her family relied on (subsidized) USDA butter and cheese. Programs like those have such long histories. And they allowed a single mom with three kids some stability and also gave my mom a better life.”

 

Why do people donate to Second Harvest?

 

“We operate a $6 ½ million budget. The average person sees their neighbors struggling or has had some struggles in their own life. They want to give that $25 or $50 and keep doing it.”            

 

What are you goals for Second Harvest?

 

“We try to do whatever we can to meet immediate food needs. But we also look at how we can help people with long-term food security. We don’t want people in our food pantry line. We want them at the grocery store and having a healthy, happy life.”

 

Has your family shared part of your professional life?

 

“I have been married to my husband, my high school sweetheart, for 28 years. He is my biggest supporter. My kids also volunteer at distributions.” (Chase-Morefield also mentions Roxy, her French bulldog/pug mix who is a rescue, as great for providing comfort after long days at work.)

     

What’s your favorite childhood memory?

 

“Riding the Teacup ride with my grandmother at Disneyland.” 

 

FAVORITES

Book: The Color Purple by Alice Walker. “I’ve always loved that book since I read it in high school.”

Play: Hell’s Kitchen, the Broadway musical that is a coming-of-age story of Alicia Keys’ life. “It’s a really lovely musical for a mother and daughter to see.”

Movie: Field of Dreams the 1989 sports fantasy drama starring Kevin Costner.

Sports: “I’m a huge Cleveland Guardians fan. And since I have a kid who plays softball, anything baseball or softball related.”

Clothing: “A good jacket, but my husband will tell you I have too many.”

Stress reliever: “I live close to (Lake Erie) so I just like to sit there and it’s very peaceful.”

Favorite junk food: chocolate

Culinary talents: “According to some people, I make a really good pie, even my own crust. My husband likes apple and my son likes pumpkin.”

Gardening task: “I like landscaping and also flower arranging.”