The NEEDS pantry welcomes donations of non-perishable foods, but we’re also thrilled when our partners help us to provide fresh food to our clients. Recently, a joint effort with St Vincent De Paul resulted in NEEDS’ being able to offer clients a supply of milk for their families. As pantry coordinator Maureen shares:
“The cost of milk by the gallon mounts up, especially when the NEEDS pantry needs 20 gallons on each day it is open. On rare occasions, milk is available through the Freestore Foodbank at no cost to food pantries. And we may receive a few gallons in a random donation. But receiving funding for milk on an ongoing basis was a real gift to NEEDS.
Mike Hathorn, president of the Saint Saviour Parish’s St. Vincent de Paul chapter and a long-time board member of NEEDS, facilitated that gift. While the chapter runs its own food pantry, the facility has no refrigeration. It gives its neighbors grocery vouchers for the local IGA supermarket. The store’s manager, in turn, gave the chapter with four $500 gift cards for use only on milk. But with no refrigerator in which to store the milk, Mike passed on one of the gift cards to the NEEDS pantry. And when we depleted the card amount, he gave us a second card!
‘When you use that one up,” Mike said, ‘just give me a call. I’ll probably still have the other two and will give you one.’
It’s a team effort to feed our neighbors in need. We’re grateful that Mike and NEEDS are on the same team!”
NEEDS volunteers and donors love to help clients take care of their families…including pets! Check out the note below from pantry coordinator Maureen:
“The NEEDS pantry applied and was recently accepted as one of the nonprofit groups to which PetPeople in Montgomery donates pet food and supplies. Store manager Kathleen Miller didn’t wait long before picking up the phone to let us know a good-sized donation was waiting.
The PetPeople company has a clear mission. ‘Equal parts neighborhood gathering place and smart retail store, PetPeople is all about helping dogs and cats thrive.’ As part of the company’s structure, each store gives back to its community by donating to pet-related charities.
Families frequenting the NEEDS food pantry struggle to feed themselves, and their beloved pets also need food and support. Each day the pantry is open, volunteers roll a cart of donated pet food, cat litter, pet supplements and toys out for families to choose from. With new support from PetPeople, that cart stands a much better chance of being stocked each week.
While donations of food and personal care items help us to meet clients’ most important needs, sometimes we’re excited by a more unusual donation.
Recently, Kroger’s Sid Cohen provided potted bamboo plants to the pantry, making it possible for each client to leave not only with food for their family, but with a cheerful plant to perk up their home. One NEEDS client couldn’t say enough about how excited she was to choose a plant: “I came here for food, and I get a plant, too? That’s a great start to my day!”
Interested in supporting NEEDS…and winning cash? The Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon’s Piggest Raffle Ever is the perfect opportunity!
Now through April 30, you can purchase raffle tickets for $5 each – with 100% of your donation going directly to NEEDS! On May 1, the Flying Pig will draw a winner of $5000 cash. The winner’s charity will also receive $5000! While everyone is welcome to celebrate Flying Pig race weekend, you do not need to be present in order to win.
Entering the raffle is easy! Just visit http://piggestraffleever.com/ and select NEEDS from the drop-down list of charities. Then choose your number of tickets and click “Adopt.”
NEEDS is so excited to participate in the Piggest Raffle Ever. Thank you for your support!
The NEEDS pantry is in need of a variety of canned foods and toiletries. If you would like to help stock the shelves, please check out the list of crucial items below.
Donations can be dropped off during NEEDS’ open hours (Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00-1:00). Thank you!
Home and Personal Care: Laundry detergent Liquid dish soap Pump hand soap Toilet paper Tissues (Kleenex) Baby wipes Feminine hygiene pads and tampons Women’s Depends / generic equivalent
As many of us bundle up against this month’s winter storm (or stay cozy inside!), other families in our community struggle to afford much-needed winter clothing. Thanks to the generosity of our donors during the Student Assistance Drive, NEEDS was recently able to help! NEEDS volunteers delivered gift cards and funds to four local elementary schools – Stewart, Evendale, Sharonville, and Sycamore – so that school officials could help to provide underprivileged students with warm clothing for the winter.
The NEEDS pantry has been busy! This month, donations of toiletries and household items would be especially appreciated. Please check out the list of most-needed items below.
Donations can be dropped off during NEEDS’ open hours (Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00-1:00). Thank you!
CannedFood: Mixed vegetables Baked beans Chili
Home and Personal Care: Laundry detergent Liquid dish soap Pump hand soap Shampoo and conditioner Feminine pads and tampons Body wash Baby wipes Depends / generic equivalent (any size but XL)
While the NEEDS pantry has benefited from several recent food drives, there are still items missing from our shelves. If you would like to help, please check out the list of most-needed items below.
Donations can be dropped off during NEEDS’ open hours (Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00-1:00). Thank you!