Cincinnati’s Freestore Foodbank is hard at work to ensure everyone can have happy holiday 

As the season of giving descends upon us, many organizations kick into overdrive to help as many as possible. While images of red buckets and school food drives may come to mind, Cincinnati’s Freestore Foodbank—the largest in the region—is hard at work making sure that all those in the community can have happy holidays.  

“We like to say that hunger doesn’t take a break, so we don’t either, but this time of year is definitely busier than other times,” says Nicki Roe, marketing and communications manager at the foodbank. 

As a result, the Freestore Foodbank utilizes its volunteer department to make sure that those who rely on the foodbank can have their needs met.  

The pantries and markets are important ways for distribution, especially around the holidays.  

This is in an effort to make sure that as many people as possible can have a holiday meal, a time of year when many people may be vulnerable. 
 

“We still see a rise in our markets, people that normally don’t come to the Freestore every month are turning to us to help them with their holiday meal,” Roe says. 

The markets are not the only way that the foodbank helps get groceries into the hands of those in need. Partnering with many organizations like the Bengals, the organization goes out into the public to distribute foods for the holidays, including turkeys and hams. 

Providing those in the community with so many meals—the foodbank provided 47 million meals during the fiscal year—is no easy feat. As such, the Freestore Foodbank relies on multiple methods of getting help. This season, they are having off-site food drives across the city, like at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, the Great Parks of Hamilton County, St. Elizabeth Healthcare and more.  

Additionally, the foodbank uses somewhat less traditional methods of distributing food than a pantry. The Freestore Foodbank has partnered with Amazon, helping to bring fresh produce to those who aren’t able to get out of the house. Also, the foodbank is offering individual virtual food drives, allowing those interested in supporting the cause more opportunities than ever to get involved from afar. 

Those interested in supporting the Freestore Foodbank through volunteer work can check opportunities and openings on the foodbank’s website.