Earlier this summer, NEEDS kicked off our annual school supply drive. Whether students are attending class in person or online, this school year is sure to be challenging – and we are thrilled to be able to help families in need!
So far, NEEDS has collected:
– $1990 in gift cards – $1600 in checks – 63 full backpacks donated by Montgomery Community Church – Erasers and scissors donated by St. Paul United Methodist Church – 350 disposable masks, thanks to a donor who specified “masks” on their check – 23 sets of earbuds purchased by St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church
Gift cards, funds, and supplies have been distributed to the Deer Park, Princeton, Sycamore, and Madeira schools according to need. Since this year’s drive has focused on financial donations, school officials are able to purchase exactly what their students need – from traditional supplies, like notebooks and calculators, to COVID safety supplies and resources for virtual learning. NEEDS is so grateful to the individuals and churches who have contributed!
If you would like to help, it’s not too late! NEEDS will continue to accept donations for the school supply drive through the end of September.
Simply mail a check (with “school supplies” in the memo line) to our address below. Gift cards for Kroger, Meijer, Walmart, Target, Staples, and Amazon are also welcome.
You can also drop off your check or gift cards any time NEEDS is open in August and September (Tuesday and Thursdays 9 am to 1 pm) at Kenwood Baptist Church.
The NEEDS pantry is currently running low on nonperishable food and other dry goods. The following items would be especially welcome!
Food: Canned vegetables (except green beans – we have plenty of these!) Canned fruit Canned soup Macaroni and cheese Peanut butter Packaged side dishes (rice/pasta mixes, potato dishes, stuffing, etc.) Pasta Pasta sauce Boxed cereal
Toiletries and Household Supplies: Dish soap Laundry soap Shaving cream Body lotion Disposable razors
Donations can be dropped off at Kenwood Baptist Church Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. NEEDS volunteers are at the church on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. Thank you!
NEEDS has had great success operating a drive-up pantry service for the last few months. All volunteers wear masks and take safety precautions in order to protect our clients. But what about clients who don’t have masks of their own? Luckily, NEEDS partner churches are here to help! Members of Kenwood Baptist Church (where NEEDS is based), as well as the Sewciables group from Sycamore Presbyterian Church, have provided an assortment of fabric masks to distribute to our clients. These masks come in a wide range of styles and sizes for children and adults. Thank you to KBC and the Sewciables for helping to keep our clients and their families safe!
NEEDS is also grateful to churches like Saint Vincent Ferrer, All Saints Catholic Church, and Blue Ash Presbyterian Church for their faithful support. All three have helped to keep the NEEDS pantry shelves stocked this summer. Recently, Blue Ash Presbyterian volunteers delivered a full cartload of food – arriving just in time to replenish our dwindling supply of canned meals. The donation also included many “extras” our clients usually have to do without – including coffee, tea, soda, salad dressing, and even hair conditioner. Thank you!
The NEEDS drive-up pantry has been busy! During the month of July, pantry volunteers served 76 families – for a total of 311 individuals!
NEEDS has also resumed offering emergency financial assistance. Over the past month, we have distributed $2,100 – helping seven families to pay rent and utility bills.
Finally, the NEEDS school supply drive kicked off in July and will continue through August. We are excited for this opportunity to provide crucial supplies to local students. For more details, check out our blog post: https://cincyneeds.org/2020/07/15/help-needs-provide-school-supplies/.
In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the NEEDS food pantry is able to obtain many food items from the Freestore Foodbank at no charge. But for others, we must rely on donations. We’re currently most in need of:
Canned soup of all kinds Packaged side dishes (rice mixes, pasta dishes, stuffing, potato mixes) Canned pineapple Tomato (not pasta) sauce Paper towels Dish and laundry detergent Pump hand soap Deodorant (men’s and women’s)
Donations can be dropped off at Kenwood Baptist Church Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. NEEDS volunteers are at the church on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm.
NEEDS also welcomes financial donations, which enable us to purchase both dry goods and perishable items like eggs, milk, cheese, butter, and vegetables. If you would like to support NEEDS with a donation, you can simply mail a check to the address below:
In order to provide food and emergency assistance to our clients, NEEDS relies heavily on donations from churches and other organizations. But as one regular donor demonstrates, individual contributors can also make a tremendous impact!
One of our most faithful donors is named Will. We don’t know his last name (he chooses not to share it), but we do know that he is an expert at maximizing discounts with coupons! Every few weeks, Will loads up his car with food for the NEEDS pantry, from cases of canned tomatoes and potatoes to more hot sauce than the average restaurant keeps on hand. And Will doesn’t just donate food – he also helps to supply personal care items like shampoo. Will even donates cases of feminine hygiene products, which are among the most expensive (and essential) items for the NEEDS pantry to stock. Will often says “This is the last time,” but he keeps coming back with much-needed food and supplies.
NEEDS is incredibly grateful to Will and the other donors who support us in meeting the needs of our community. Thank you!
Each year, NEEDS holds a school supply drive to provide students in the Princeton and Deer Park districts with the materials they need for successful learning. Over 70% of Princeton students and over 50% of Deer Park students rely on financial assistance from the school district and the government – and for many of these students, even the most basic supplies can be difficult to afford.
This year the need will likely be greater than ever, as many families have been impacted by COVID-related job loss and other challenges.
You can help us meet that need!
In order to provide supplies as safely as possible, NEEDS is collecting financial donations (including gift cards) to share with each school district. School officials will use these donations to purchase the supplies that their students need.
If you would like to contribute, simply mail a check (with “school supplies” in the memo line) to our address below. Gift cards for Kroger, Meijer, Walmart, Target, Staples, and Amazon are also welcome.
Or you can drop off your check or gift cards any time NEEDS is open in August and September (Tuesday and Thursdays 9 am to 1 pm.) at Kenwood Baptist Church.
If you belong to a NEEDS member church, please include the church’s name with your donation.
While all students face challenging adjustments in the upcoming school year, we can help to ease the stress for some of our community’s most acutely affected families.
June was a busy month for the NEEDS food pantry, as we continued to operate our drive-up service with great success.
Families served: 66 Individuals served: 246
Thank you to all of our volunteers and donors!
Starting in July, NEEDS will resume emergency financial assistance for clients who need help paying rent and utility bills. The pantry will remain open for drive-up service. We look forward to another impactful month!
For many high school students, summer vacation is an eagerly awaited opportunity to fulfill community service requirements. This is especially true for students at St. Ursula Academy, an East Walnut Hills school that champions service as a core value. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Ursula staff recently found creative ways to continue honoring the school’s commitment to service.
St. Ursula Academy usually provides funding to support a variety of student service activities. This summer, the academy generously donated a portion of those funds to supply the NEEDS pantry with its most urgently needed items. In addition, St. Ursula has placed NEEDS on their summer service list, encouraging students to meet service requirements by donating to NEEDS.
NEEDS is so grateful for the support of St. Ursula Academy this summer. Thank you!
For the past few months, most of us have done our best to protect our families by staying safely at home – only venturing out for essentials like food and medication. But what about the people in our community who don’t have safe homes?
Tamar’s Center, a shelter that cares for women struggling with addiction and exploitation, recently took action by installing a free hand washing center in Over the Rhine (https://www.wlwt.com/article/hand-washing-station-installed-in-over-the-rhine-to-keep-cincinnatis-homeless-safe-during-pandemic/32588058). Many Tamar’s Center clients are homeless and often go without basic toiletry items. To help support these clients, NEEDS has donated a large number of individual toiletries for Tamar’s Center to distribute. NEEDS donors generously share personal care items of all sizes; while large sizes are ideal for the families we serve, smaller sizes are perfect for the women who are served by Tamar’s Center. NEEDS is so grateful to be able to share with another wonderful organization.
