Pantry coordinator Maureen shared this story of unexpected generosity:

“The NEEDS pantry received a surprise gift just after Thanksgiving this year. The first day we were open after the holiday was a busy one, and our volunteers were tired at the end of the service day. Just after we closed, the Latin Club at Madeira High School called saying they wanted to deliver donations they’d collected for NEEDS. Unplanned and unexpected, the donation would help us restock after the holiday.

The ‘donations’ turned out to fill three carts — and included items in all of our needed categories. The three students who delivered them were enthusiastic, filling us in on the Latin Club and taking an interest in the workings of the pantry.

A warm NEEDS thank you to all of the members of the Madeira High School Latin Club who contributed!”

There are many ways to help NEEDS provide food and emergency financial assistance to our struggling neighbors. Food drives, financial donations, volunteer service — all are deeply appreciated as we work to keep up with increasing needs in our community.

The NEEDS pantry coordinators shared this letter to the staff of PLK Communities, who recently joined us for a service day:

“Thank you so much for including NEEDS in your service day program. The team that volunteered was awesome!!! They helped us label and stock food that we had brought in from the FreeStore and helped flatten plastic bags that we use for packing. Many thanks to Nyssa, Bella, Alexis, Brandon, Alicia, and Eric for their hard work.

This year the NEEDS pantry will serve 2000 families, which is double the number we served two years ago! We also help neighbors with emergency rent and utility bills. We are being challenged to keep up with the demand. We rely on donations from schools, churches, and businesses to meet the need.

The NEEDS volunteers and the families we serve thank you!”

One of NEEDS’ newest donors is St. Vincent Ferrer School. Families and faculty at the school organized a drive for the NEEDS pantry, assigning each grade to contribute some of the pantry’s most-needed items. Pantry coordinator Janie shared this letter of thanks:

“Thank you, thank you, thank you for organizing a food drive for the NEEDS Pantry. You did a GREAT job of collecting what we needed to restock our pantry. We loved the approach of having each grade focus on a few of our most-needed items as it made it easier to put away and helped us build our inventory.  

This is the first time SVF collected for NEEDS and it was a huge success. Many thanks to Theresa Morman for reaching out. The students were so excited about helping load the car and they filled it to the roof! It’s so heart-warming to see students getting involved with community service at a young age. 

As grocery prices remain high, families are struggling. This year the NEEDS pantry will serve 2000 families, which is double the number we served two years ago! We are being challenged to keep up with the demand. We rely on donations from schools, churches and businesses to meet the need. Please know that the food you collected will benefit people in the community where you live. 

The NEEDS volunteers and the families we serve thank you! We look forward to continuing our partnership in the years ahead.”

Pantry coordinator Janie shared this warm thank-you to the students, families, and faculty of Madeira Elementary School:

“WOW!!! You all knocked it out of the park this year, collecting 1500 items for the NEEDS food pantry. And on top of that, they were the items we had on our ‘most needed’ list. We were able to restock our shelves in preparation for Thanksgiving, which is such a blessing for our neighbors in need.

We love how your students get involved. Their energy is infectious. The 5^th Grade Student Council leaders were excited to help us load the cars. They did a great job and their enthusiasm brightened our day.  Many thanks to Roxanne Hurley for leading the effort and for doing such a great job of communicating with us.

As grocery prices remain high, families are struggling. This year we will serve 2000 families, which is double the number we served two years ago! We are being challenged to keep up with the demand. We rely on donations from schools, churches, and businesses to meet the need. Please know that the food you collected will benefit people in the community where you live. 

The NEEDS volunteers and the families we serve thank you! We look forward to continuing our partnership next year. 

Happy Thanksgiving!! We have so much to be thankful for.”

Pantry coordinator Janie shared this grateful message to the families and faculty of Montgomery Elementary School:

“Thank you once again for your generous donation to the NEEDS Food Pantry. You collected 20 boxes of food items that helped us restock our shelves. You have been donating to NEEDS consistently for many years. Your commitment to helping the less fortunate in our area is impressive!  Many thanks to Susan Linton for coordinating the food drive.

As grocery prices remain high, families are struggling. This year we will serve 2000 families which is double the number we served two years ago! We are being challenged to keep up with the demand.  We rely on donations from schools, churches, and businesses to meet the need. Please know that the food you collected will benefit people in the community where you live. 

The NEEDS volunteers and the families we serve thank you!”

This year, the Montgomery Farmers’ Market and the Society of St. Andrew have combated food waste while helping NEEDS to provide healthy produce for our clients. Pantry coordinator Maureen shared this story:

“The 2023 season at the Montgomery Farmers’ Market was an especially fruitful one for the NEEDS pantry. Vendors donated 5,343 pounds of fresh produce, bakery and prepared food — providing almost twice as much food for our needy neighbors as in 2022.  On top of that, market customers were able to pick up NEEDS brochures and make cash donations.

The Society of St. Andrew, a national gleaning organization, made this all possible for NEEDS. Society members collect farmers’ market donations across the country, and even go into the field to help farmers harvest — all in an effort to end food waste. Locally, Sue Plummer is Ohio’s Program Coordinator. This is the second year NEEDS has been the beneficiary of her team’s work. During the first season, NEDEDS volunteers picked up at the market each week. But this year, the society partnered with Last Mile Food Rescue to transport the food to NEEDS.

A warm thank you to Sue and her team of gleaners. And here’s to another fulfilling year of partnership ahead!”

Pantry coordinator Maureen recently shared this story of holiday generosity from one of our faithful member organizations:

“Each year, the families of Kenwood Baptist Church gather to celebrate Thanksgiving as a church family. The meal is the traditional one of roast turkey, mashed potatoes, and all the fixings. But the event extends so much further than the room itself.

This year, church members attending the dinner were asked to bring a donation of peanut butter and/or pasta sauce to help stock the NEEDS pantry for the busy holiday season ahead. And give they did! Offering bins were filled to the brim, and what was donated filled pantry shelves. In addition, holiday-themed notecards were placed on each table to be written to nursing home patients who weren’t able to join in the fellowship. Diners were also encouraged to post what they were most thankful for on a large Thanksgiving banner.

Kenwood Baptist Church provides the space in which the NEEDS pantry is located. But it does so much more to support the pantry’s efforts. Thank you, church members, for your generosity and support!”