Freestore Foodbank | Donate Cincinnati | Charity Nonprofit

Gerson named his practice the Free Store. He incorporated it as a public charity, quit his job, and opened for business in his apartment.

In 1979, the Free Store became a founding member of Feeding America, evolving into the Freestore Foodbank, and began distributing food to our hungry neighbors.

Today the Freestore Foodbank is one of over 200 food banks within the Feeding America network serving communities across the nation.

It’s all thanks to a man with a heart to help others. Learn more about our early beginnings in this piece that’s So Cincinnati… watch video

The Freestore Foodbank is also a member of:

• The Ohio Association of Foodbanks
• The Kentucky Association of Foodbanks
• Feeding Indiana’s Hungry

About Freestore Foodbank:
The Freestore Foodbank is the largest emergency food and services provider to children and families in Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana. The organization distributes 24 million meals annually to low-income individuals and families. The Freestore Foodbank supports 400 community partners in 20 counties throughout Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana, including food kitchens, homeless shelters, emergency food pantries, social service centers and program sites. By providing emergency food distribution, the Freestore Foodbank responds to the issue of poverty and food insecurity in our community and provides an array of services (emergency clothing, housing services, SNAP assistance, Medicaid outreach and others) aimed at creating self-reliance. The Freestore Foodbank is a member of Feeding America.

What the Freestore Foodbank is about
Food is a vehicle for a larger conversation, aimed at helping to create stability and self-reliance for our neighbors.

Our Mission
We provide food and services, create stability, and further self-reliance for people in crisis.

Our Vision
To be the leader of a community mobilized to end hunger and address its causes.

Our Core Values
Commitment: We will not accept hunger.
Compassion: We embrace diversity.
Respect: We are in service with our neighbors.
Empowerment: Those we serve can succeed independently.
Community: We collaborate with others in our region.

When people come to the Freestore Foodbank’s Customer Connection Center, located at 112 East Liberty Street, for food, we also help connect them to additional resources to help create stability.

Services made available include:

• Food assistance in our Food Room ( a choice pantry)
• Money management
• Clothing assistance
• Bus tokens
• Housing/rent assistance
• Homeless outreach

At the Freestore Foodbank’s Mayerson Distribution Center, located at 1250 Tennessee Avenue in Bond Hill, all food is sorted and distributed to help hungry families and children in our Tri-State area.  The Freestore Foodbank accepts donations from canned food drive, government agencies, wholesalers, retailers and produce farmers.

At the Freestore Foodbank’s Wilder Distribution Center, located at 100 Beacon Drive in Wilder, Kentucky, all food is sorted and distributed to help hungry families and children in our Northern Kentucky area.  The Freestore Foodbank accepts donations from canned food drive, government agencies, wholesalers, retailers and produce farmers. Wilder Distribution Center is also the location for our LIFT the TriState program.

Using food to create positive solutions for stability, our programs work to eliminate hunger from many angles in the community. Additional programs of the Freestore Foodbank include:
• Cincinnati COOKS!
• The Giving Fields
• Power Pack
• Kids Cafe

With a growing need in the community, the Freestore Foodbank has a goal to eliminate a 30 million meal gap by distributing 50 million meals by our 50th anniversary in 2021.

Our Strategic Plan breaks down how we plan to reach that goal.

You can join us in helping to make a difference. With every dollar donated, the Freestore Foodbank is able to provide three meals to hungry children and families in the Tri-State area. Your support goes a long way. 94% of donations go directly to programs and services.

As a non-profit, the Freestore Foodbank prides itself in being open and transparent about where our donors’ dollars are going.

Be a part of the fight against hunger by joining our staff.

Our newsletters and Annual Reports provide a more in-depth look at some of the work the Freestore Foodbank is doing in the community.