LeRoy James is a Navy veteran who loves to make a difference in the community. His passion to help people first got him involved with CAIN (Churches Active in Northside). And in the last nine years he’s spent time and effort every year organizing a team to participate in the Freestore Foodbank’s Hunger Walk.
“I love to pull people together so that they can work as a team,” LeRoy remarks. “The Hunger Walk allows CAIN to collect money that can be used for purchasing food or for expansion of our facility. It can be used to help our organization move forward. That’s the beautiful thing about it.”
CAIN is a neighborhood ministry that transforms lives. It is located in an area of Cincinnati that is technically a food desert without easy and direct access to fresh food. CAIN’s food pantry offers a wide selection of fresh fruits, vegetables and protein.
CAIN is a partner agency to the Freestore Foodbank and they have been a part of the Hunger Walk since its inception. “The wonderful thing about the Hunger Walk is that it’s an event that the Freestore Foodbank organizes for its partner agencies and it requires minimum effort in terms of planning and coordination from us,” states MiMi Chamberlin, Executive Director of CAIN. “For a small organization such as ours, being able to dedicate every moment we can to help our guests and the community is critical.”
In addition to its choice food pantry, CAIN also hosts a community meal every Monday throughout the year from 5 pm to 6 pm. And since 2016, CAIN’s Grace Place has partnered with the Interfaith Hospitality Network to provide shelter to families.
“I find it gratifying that the money collected through the Hunger Walk comes back to CAIN and can be used to support the people in the local community,” comments Pat Jaeger, a Board Member. “I work in the food pantry at CAIN and I see the need for food every day. I am happy to support the Freestore Foodbank because I love the work that they do in the community.”
Last year CAIN raised close to $25,500 through the Hunger Walk. This year they hope to raise $40,000. The Freestore Foodbank looks forward to working with CAIN and is excited to have them participate in the Hunger Walk again.
