Students at St. Vincent Ferrer School collect food for NEEDS annually — and this year’s drive was a remarkable success! Pantry coordinators Janie and Maureen shared, “Wow! You all outdid yourselves this year! You collected 362 boxes of cereal which is almost double last year. That’s amazing! Your collection will keep us in stock for months on an item that is costly for us to replenish.
We understand that you made it a fun event for the students by creating a cereal box domino display. That’s a creative way to encourage participation while helping the less fortunate in our community. Many thanks to Michele Frost for leading this effort each year. We’d also like to thank the students who helped carry the boxes to our cars and used their creativity to fit it all in. Great job!
“NEEDS is a 100% volunteer and donation-run organization. We rely on contributions from schools, churches, and businesses to operate. The NEEDS volunteers and the families we serve thank you! We look forward to continuing our partnership in the years ahead.”
The SPCA Cincinnati’s Chow Now Pantry program provides much of the pet food NEEDS is able to offer to families seeking our help. Organizers note, “Our goal is to keep people and pets together! Pets give hope and comfort that everyone deserves, especially through challenging times.”
You can help by joining the Stuff the Sleigh project! Now through December 28, donate in person or online to help the Chow Now Pantry and its partners — including NEEDS — care for animals and the people who love them.
The NEEDS pantry coordinators note, “The last months of 2025 have been hard ones for the less fortunate members of our community. The cutoff of SNAP benefits drove even more families to seek emergency food support from our pantry. In fact, the numbers of those seen rose by 50%. SNAP benefits have yet to be fully reinstated, and our families are also facing an imminent increase in health insurance costs.”
You can help by donating some of our most-needed items from the list below!
Home and Personal Care: Toilet paper Paper towels Baby wipes Laundry detergent Deodorant Disposable razors Shaving cream
Donations can be dropped off at Kenwood Baptist Church, either at the drive-through during our open hours (Tuesday and Thursday 9:00-1:00), or in the marked boxes at each entrance. Prefer to order online? Click HERE for more options. Thank you!
NEEDS received an amazing donation from local company LSI Industries, whose employees saw a need and chose to step up. Pantry coordinators Janie and Maureen shared this letter of thanks:
“We were pleasantly surprised (or shall we say… shocked) when you stopped by to drop off 800 lbs of food and personal care items at our pantry last week. Wow!! As you told us, you had been listening to news of the government shutdown that impacted SNAP benefits and you decided to help. And that you did! Your food drive was more than successful and we are thankful that you chose NEEDS to be the recipient. Since you dropped off on a day we were serving, you could see the long line of cars that were waiting to be served. You can be assured that your donation will be helping the less fortunate in the community where LSI operates.
NEEDS has been serving our community for 40+ years and we pride ourselves on being a 100% volunteer and donation-run organization. We receive no government funding and rely on contributions from schools, churches, and businesses to operate. We appreciate your efforts to help the less fortunate in our area.
The NEEDS volunteers and the families we serve thank you!”
Blue Ash company Everything But The House (EBTH) is a regular donor to NEEDS. This year, two employees visited the pantry just before Thanksgiving with a sizable donation of food — as well as a stack of Kroger gift cards!
Pantry coordinators Maureen and Janie shared, “Your donation came at any especially needy time for our food pantry. After the cutoff of SNAP benefits and their slow reinstatement, the number of families seeking food assistance from us has risen by 50%. In addition, the expected increase in health insurance costs will strain families even further. Your support will help us meet their needs.
They say ‘it takes a village.’ Thank you for being a part of ours!”
Families and faculty at Madeira Elementary School hold an annual food drive to benefit NEEDS — and this year, their generosity was incredible! Pantry coordinators Janie and Maureen shared this letter of gratitude:
“Oh my goodness….. this year you outdid yourselves. You collected over 1200 items, which is 50% more than last year. WOW!!! You packed our two SUVs to the roof! Many thanks to the 5th graders who had the biggest collection and helped carry and load all those heavy boxes. We absolutely love their enthusiasm for helping others. We know that energy comes from Roxanne Hurley, whose passionate leadership of this event is infectious!
Your donation came at a critical time following the government shutdown that led to a surge in the number of visits to our pantry. In October we served more neighbors than we had in any month in our 42 years of operation. As a 100% volunteer and donation-run organization, we rely on contributions from schools, churches, and businesses to operate. We appreciate your efforts to help the less fortunate in our community.
The NEEDS volunteers and the families we serve thank you!”
Pantry coordinators Janie and Maureen shared this note of appreciation to the families and faculty of Montgomery Elementary School:
“Thank you for having another successful food drive for NEEDS. We’re grateful for your long-term commitment to our pantry and to Molly and Donny for making it happen. Your students and their families are always so generous and willing to help the less fortunate in our community.
As you may know, we are an 100% volunteer and donation-run organization. We rely on contributions from schools, churches, and businesses to operate. Your donation came at a critical time this year, shortly after the government shutdown ended. In October we served more neighbors than we had in any month in our 42 years of operation, so our shelves desperately needed to be replenished.
The NEEDS volunteers and the families we serve thank you!”
Thanksgiving is coming up — and NEEDS is sending a big thank you to the students and staff of Indian Hill High School, who collected a large donation for the pantry. Our pantry coordinators shared this note:
“Wow! What a wonderful surprise it was to pick up three car loads full of food and personal care items from you the week before Thanksgiving. You are so very generous! Your donation came at a critical time as the government shutdown led to increased visits to our pantry. In October we served more neighbors than we had served in any month in our 42 years of operation.
As a 100% volunteer and donation-run organization, we rely on contributions from schools, churches, and businesses to operate. We appreciate your efforts to help the less fortunate in our community. We’d like to add our special thanks to Susan Schonauer for coordinating the food drive.
The NEEDS volunteers and the families we serve thank you! We look forward to continuing our partnership in the coming years. Have a blessed Thanksgiving.”
Each year, NEEDS holds a Student Assistance Drive to help provide school supplies and warm winter clothing to students in our community. Teachers and administrators in the Deer Park, Princeton, and Sycamore districts know all too well how many families struggle to afford these necessities — so they’re thrilled to receive gift cards enabling them to purchase exactly what their students need!
NEEDS volunteer Jan, who coordinates the annual drive, recently distributed the donated gift cards to appreciative faculty. Thank you to everyone who helped to make this year’s drive a success!
