Grants Encourage Second Chances

As the Freestore Foodbank works to solve the critical issue of hunger for the over 273,000 food insecure residents of our region, helping neighbors in need build self-sufficiency is essential.

During the intake process for emergency food assistance at our Customer Connection Center, Freestore Foodbank employees discover why people are coming to us for help. A majority of people report they are unable to secure and maintain stable employment due to a lack of education/training and other barriers.

Cincinnati COOKS!, the Freestore Foodbank’s free, 10-week, culinary workforce development program helps individuals acquire the skills necessary to find and maintain employment. While other organizations offer similar classes, our training is free and provides wrap-around services. In addition, we accept returning citizens and do not require a specific level of stability before acceptance to the program, instead we work with applicants to improve their stability. Cincinnati COOKS! remains the only program in our region open to individuals of all backgrounds with a focus on formal culinary training rather than on-the-job training.

After graduating from Cincinnati COOKS!, participants can continue their training with Second Course, a free, 8-week program focused on fine dining and kitchen management. Upon completion of Cincinnati COOKS! and Second Course, graduates can enroll at Cincinnati State with 30 credit hours toward an Associate Degree in Culinary Management. The Cincinnati COOKS! program changes the trajectory of participants’ lives, providing a career path and a life enriched through education.

The Freestore Foodbank gratefully acknowledges recent grants from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, HDR Foundation, Harold C. Schott Foundation, General Mills Foundation Hometown Grantmaking Program, and American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation to support Cincinnati COOKS! this year. We depend on grants and individual restricted donations to support our Cincinnati COOKS! students and provide essential equipment for their training.

“The Trustees of the Harold C. Schott Foundation appreciate the work of Freestore Foodbank, and we are pleased to be able to supports its mission to provide food and services, create stability, and further self-reliance for people in crisis,” said Foundation trustee Allison Kropp. “It is because of Freestore Foodbank’s mission and the way that it delivers upon that mission that the Foundation provided grant funding to help fund Power Pack sites for the 2018-19 school year, to support families in the Stabilization Program, helping them attain their goals and build their self-sufficiency, and to provide training and wrap-around services for Cincinnati COOKS! students.”

The HDR Foundation grant, along with donations from Mitchell and Elissa Habib, Karen Maier and Delane Starliper, will allow us to replace two outdated and inefficient CombiOvens in the COOKS! kitchen. The new equipment will ensure Cincinnati COOKS! participants are familiar with the appliances currently used in commercial kitchens, enhancing their opportunities for employment upon graduation.

If you would like to support Cincinnati COOKS!, please contact Jean Reisinger Coggan, jcoggan@freestorefoodbank.org or 513-482-3730.

Volunteer Connection – May 2019

Help Us Turn Hunger
Into Hope in 2019

16^th Annual Hunger Walk 5K Walk and Run

Hunger Walk is a 5K Run/Walk hosted by the Freestore Foodbank to benefit our network of over 450 community partners: soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters and community centers. Each step made at the event directly impacts the lives of our hungry neighbors in Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Indiana.

Volunteers are needed to help “run” the event. Strap up your shoe laces and assist us with running the actual event on Monday, May 27th at the Sing the Queen City sign at the Banks downtown Cincinnati! Check out the opportunities at Hunger Walk Volunteer. Signing up is easy! First create your profile and then sign up for a task. There are volunteer activities during the entire holiday weekend on Saturday and Sunday too. We hope to see you there!!

If you would like to actually walk or run the 5K, we’d love for you to join the Freestore Volunteer Team.   Just follow this link to register today!  Freestore Volunteer Team Registration

If you aren’t available to join us in person, you can always join us in spirit by making a donation to this cause via Freestore Volunteer Team Registration. Your contribution will help neighbors who receive food from the Customer Connection Center’s Liberty Street Market.

Please join us in being a champion in this fight by registering to volunteer, walk or run and/or by supporting our efforts with a tax-deductible donation. Our goal is to raise at least $5,000 just from our volunteer team alone to help our Liberty Street Market.  Won’t you join us?  

A NEW PILOT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY!

Pop Up Pantry

Location: 6555 Nicholas Street, Florence, KY 41042.

We are partnering with the Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission (NKCAC) to ensure our neighbors in Boone County have an easier access to food! Pop Up Pantry allows volunteers to work directly with the people in Boone County and to see the face of hunger. Our Pop Up Pantry typically serves up to 100 households each time it’s open – be prepared to work hard and smile a lot!

Volunteers are needed to assist with the setup and cleanup of the Pop Up Pantry, organize and stock tables with food and other non-food items and provide excellent customer service. Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age to volunteer for this activity. First date is May 17the from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.   Call today to register: 513-482-7550.

Ongoing Volunteer Activities + A few new twists!

Mayerson Distribution Center
Located at 1250 Tennessee Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229.

If summer is calling and you are beginning to make your summer vacation plans, remember to include a day or two at the Mayerson Distribution Center!  We will be packing summer meals for kiddos, preparing ducks for the Regatta and everyone is invited!  Make your reservations today!

If you helped with our Power Pack assembly you will love the summer food boxes! These boxes provide children in our rural communities nutritious meals for an entire week during the summer months. We need at least 40 people each shift in June and July!

Regular Warehouse Shifts: Shifts are held Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Both individuals and groups are welcome at the Distribution Center. Volunteers must be at least 13 years of age to volunteer. Student 13-18 years old must have parental consent and students 13-15 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. 

Don’t forget about two Special Volunteer Events for Special Groups!

Date Nights at the DC in June

Thursday Evenings in June: June 6^th, 13^th, and 20^th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Looking for a new way to connect with your special someone? Whether you just met or are looking for a new way to connect with your favorite person, Date Nights at the DC could be perfect for you. Couples are invited to volunteer with us as we work together to build summer feeding boxes for children. Get to know that special someone while lending a hand. No experience necessary! Sign up today!

First Saturdays are Family Saturdays!

Looking for a fun family experience?  Have a couple of hours to give service?  Bring your entire family and help us feed our neighbors.  The warehouse usually has an age restriction of 13 years, but on the first Saturdays of the month, children 8 and older are invited to come with their families to volunteer!  What a great way to serve our community and grow as a family at the same time.  January and February family days were a huge success!  Make sure to register your family before spaces fill up!

The Giving Fields 
Located at 101 Anderson Lane, Melbourne, KY 41059

The Giving Fields is our community farm located in Melbourne, Kentucky – approximately five minutes from NKU. We plant, maintain and harvest fresh produce for our partner food pantries and soup kitchens in Northern Kentucky. This is a great volunteer opportunity for people of all ages. Families with children five years of age and older, high school and college students, as well as individuals and groups are welcome. Projects include planting, weeding, simple landscaping and once the crops grow…harvesting. Many hands make the work light. Come get dirty with us and feed our neighbors in Northern Kentucky.

Garden Shifts: Shifts are held beginning in May, Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30.  Both individuals and groups are welcome at the Giving Fields. Volunteers must be at least 5 years of age to volunteer. Children 5-17 years old must have written parental consent and students 5-16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. Ratio of adult to children must be 1 to 4. 

Healthy Harvest Mobile Market
At various locations throughout the community
Want to help bring healthy nutritious produce into the community?  Volunteer on a regular basis with the Healthy Harvest Mobile Market!  We are also in need volunteers once a month for the HHMM Clean Up Crew as well.  Contact Brandon Thomas, Volunteer Engagement Specialist at bthomas@freestorefoodbank.org for more details.

Liberty Street Market (formerly the Food Room on Liberty St)
Located at 112 E. Liberty, Cincinnati, OH 45202.

Up to three hundred people depend on the Liberty Street Market daily to provide emergency food for themselves and their families.  Our volunteers sort food, stock shelves, assist customers with their groceries outside of the building and load groceries into shopper’s vehicle in front of the building. Volunteers must be at least 16-years-old (with parental consent) to volunteer at this site.  Help us help our neighbors help themselves!

Liberty Street Market Shifts:  Individuals or groups of 15 or less can schedule a time to volunteer in the Liberty Street Market, Monday through Friday.

Check out this video about the Liberty Street Market: https://youtu.be/JILRvqojr3M

All volunteers are welcome to join our team as TOGETHER, WE CAN SOLVE HUNGER! Individuals may self-register and groups may request special dates by visiting our website: freestorefoodbank.volunteerhub.com.  Email our Volunteer Engagement Specialist, Carolyn Frank at volunteer@freestorefoodbank.org or call 513-482-7550 for further assistance.

Join our Facebook Freestore Foodbank Volunteer Page to view all of our pictures of our exciting volunteers in action in the past few months!

ALL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY LISTED REQUIRE PRE-REGISTRATION!

All volunteers are welcome to join our team as TOGETHER, WE CAN SOLVE HUNGER!

Individuals may self-register and groups may request special dates by visiting our website: freestorefoodbank.volunteerhub.com. Email our Volunteer Engagement Specialist, Carolyn Frank at volunteer@freestorefoodbank.org or call 513-482-7550 for further assistance.

Thank you to the following groups for your support in April 2019!
We sincerely appreciate their continued support and contribution of their time.

Story In Pictures (May 2019)

April was Volunteer Appreciation Month and we spent time and effort recognizing the over 11,000 volunteers who help us every year. We also spent a day in Columbus meeting with state legislators to call for a Comprehensive Approach to Hunger Relief in the state budget.

Thank you Tyson Foods!

Thank you Tyson Foods for your generous donation that will help us feed hungry children in our neighborhood. We appreciate it very much!

Ohio Lobby Day

In Columbus we met with state legislators to call for a Comprehensive Approach to Hunger Relief in the state budget. We are grateful to lawmakers, their staff, community leaders, our partner agencies and staff who attended the event to show their support. Special thanks to the Ohio Association of Foodbanks for organizing and hosting the event.

Congratulations to our 2019 Freestore Foodbank outstanding volunteers. We are so grateful!

Bernadette Unger and Jim Rubenstein’s Lifelong Commitment

Bernadette Unger and Jim Rubenstein lived in the Over-The-Rhine area of Cincinnati for many years and they saw the difference made by the Freestore Foodbank in the lives of the people who lived there. They have been donors to the Freestore Foodbank for more than 27 years and continue to support our work.  Read more…

Bernadette Unger and Jim Rubenstein have been donors to Freestore Foodbank for more than 27 years and are dedicated to helping people in our community.  Jim and Bernadette serve on the Board of Directors of the MOON Food Co-op that opened a cooperatively-owned grocery store in Oxford, Ohio in 2011 — the first of its kind to Ohio in 45 years.  Jim taught geography and urban planning at Miami University and is now a full-time writer of text books, research on the auto industry and a weekly newspaper column about local and organic food. Bernadette was a city planner and is currently a yoga teacher in Oxford and Hamilton.

Early in their careers, they both worked in Over-the Rhine and saw the impact that poverty had in Cincinnati. They became aware of Freestore Foodbank’s Customer Connection Center on Liberty Street and how the Liberty Street Market helped people who were at risk of hunger. Bernadette and Jim began making donations to Freestore Foodbank to address the needs and concerns of people living in the urban core of Cincinnati and it has become a lifelong commitment.

Although, they now live in Oxford, Ohio, Jim and Bernadette place food resources for those in need in Cincinnati at the top of the list of causes they support.

“We are very ‘place’ specific.  We live in Oxford but had a several decade connection to Over-the-Rhine.  We feel it’s important to make a difference locally,” said Bernadette.

“We really like that Freestore Foodbank has a variety of programs to serve people in need who live in the inner city,” Bernadette continues.  “I know that Freestore Foodbank does a great job of feeding people and that they also have workforce development programs to help people gain skills to find jobs.  I am really impressed at how many people have attained employment and now don’t have to stand in line for food.”

Bernadette and Jim will continue to financially support Freestore Foodbank because they know their donations really make a difference in the lives of our neighbors in need.

“We hope your services are not needed someday.  But until then, we will continue supporting Freestore Foodbank,” said Bernadette.

If you would like to support Freestore Foodbank’s efforts to bring more fresh fruits and vegetables to our Liberty Street Market and other pantries, please contact Maureen Gregory, mgregory@freestorefoodbank.org or 513-482-7542.

The Giving Fields is Open!

On a beautiful spring afternoon, there truly isn’t a better place to be than the Freestore Foodbank’s sprawling 10-acre farm in Melbourne, Kentucky. Draped luxuriously across the southern bank of the Ohio River, the Giving Fields is a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati. The farm is now open for the season and plans are underway for a busy and productive season. The farm, managed by two talented Freestore Foodbank employees,  is run mostly by volunteers. “Working with volunteers is truly a pleasure,” says Keith Caldwell, who manages the farm. He recounts the story of a group of 21 third-graders clad in colorful rain jackets and boots who showed up on a rainy day with teachers and parents and spent two hours helping to clear raised beds and put down fresh compost. “I cannot think of a better way to teach children about healthy eating or farming,” Keith observes. Alison Ulanski  is dedicated to managing the volunteers who come to the farm and she finds it infinitely rewarding. “I love being able to work with people all day long and I take great pride in putting structured activities together so that our volunteers are fully engaged and having fun,” Ali says,

The next few weeks at the farm are going to be focused on planting. Irrigation just got turned on and approximately 1,000 plants have been planted already – cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale and broccoli. In addition, there are a hundred potato plants in the ground this year for the very first time! “We did a survey of our pantries this past year, and potatoes turned out to be the most sought-after vegetable,” Keith says. They have also planned some pollinator gardens to help the bees. The orchard is getting pruned with wonderful help from Extension Offices in Campbell, Kenton and Boone county. And so are the blueberry brambles. The farm also has a greenhouse .

Harvesting will start in June. The farm will continue a cycle of planting and harvesting into the fall. The summer months are the busiest and there are plans in place to plant corn and pumpkins this year. “The pumpkins are mostly for the kids and we thought it would be fun for them to be able to pick pumpkins,” says Keith. In the fall there will be fall crops like squash and yam and sweet potato. The Freestore Foodbank is excited to start a brand new season and we are looking for help and engagement from the community. To volunteer go to https://freestorefoodbank.org/volunteer-opportunities/

Open Door Pantry: Ready for the Hunger Walk!

Church of the Advent is a breathtaking, gray, stone structure that towers over the historic neighborhood of Walnut Hills in Cincinnati. Open Door Pantry located in the lower level of the church has been participating in the Hunger Walk for several years. This year the goal is to raise money to purchase more food for the pantry as well as gain exposure. “We think this is a great way to increase our capacity,” says JoAnn McIntosh, Executive Director of Open Door Pantry. “We love that this is an event that is organized by the Freestore Foodbank to help partner agencies like us and we appreciate the support very much.” JoAnn is looking to participate in the walk for the first time this year and she is asking people to sign up via social media.

Open Door Pantry was started by the church in 1973 because one of the parishioners saw people roaming the streets as they were shutting down and moving people out of institutions. They started a payee program in 1973 to help individuals manage their finances and became one of the first agencies to work with the Social Security Department. Shortly thereafter they started a food pantry. The café developed over time and it was a great addition. A lot of times it was the same people who came – but it was a good way to add a sense of community to the neighborhood. The pantry and the cafe have been open for over 46 years. “Our clients deal with mental illness and developmental disabilities on top of poverty,” says JoAnn. “When they are not able to be responsible for their finances, that’s where we come in.” The pantry has two staff members and they are dedicated to helping those who come in full-time. One is an account manager and the other is a customer service specialist.

Open Door is small and personal and their clients love that about them. “Our clients can call us any time and we provide individualized care and attention,” says JoAnn. The pantry allows clients to come in twice a month to pick up food and it helps supplement what they can get with food stamps. They also have a doctor and a nurse who visit once a month to do blood pressure checks etc. The pantry is open five days a week and estimate is that they see around 50 clients each day. “We even offer help with preparing a burial plan,” says JoAnn. “Many clients live alone and they need help making arrangements. We are happy to help them with this.” Open Door appreciates its partnership with the Freestore Foodbank and is grateful for the support it receives from the Freestore in a variety of areas ranging from food delivery to SNAP outreach and support with the Hunger Walk.

Grace Sferra’s Loyal Commitment to Fighting Hunger

Grace Sferra has been a loyal supporter of the Freestore Foodbank for several years. Recently she started donating through her IRA account. For individuals age 70 ½ or older, the IRA Charitable Rollover is a tax-wise way to support the Freestore Foodbank.

Read More

Story in Pictures – April 2019

Congratulations to the winners of CANstruction 2019

Proud and excited to share pictures of completed CANstruction 2019 structures! We are thankful to the talented architects, engineers and designers who helped build them. Thank you for your creativity and generosity.

Thank you Tata Consulting Services!

We are grateful to our friends at Tata Consulting Services who packed over 1,200 Power Packs to help feed children in our local schools. Thank you for supporting our mission to reduce hunger.

We are proud of recognition from Feeding America for our work in Advocacy

Proud to share that the Freestore Foodbank has been recognized by Feeding America as a 2018 Hall of Fame Legend for our top-tier advocacy program. This is the second year in a row that we have received this wonderful honor. We extend our most sincere thanks to legislators and their staff at the federal, state and local levels as well as our partners, donors, board members, employees, volunteers and the people we serve for their support.

Congratulations to Class 5 of LIFT the TriState!

We celebrated the graduation of Class 5 of our LIFT the TriState workforce development program – the first one of 2019! Another amazing crop of graduates, well on their way to making a new life. As always we are extremely proud of them and we thank Belflex Staffing Solutions and Gateway Community and Technical College for their partnership.

Thank you to the Joy In Childhood Foundation!

Thank you to the Joy In Childhood Foundation volunteers for helping us pack 1,548 Power to feed children in our local schools. We could not do what we do without your generous support.

Thank you to Gold Star Chili!!

Thank you Gold Star Chili for your extremely generous donation of $87,000 to the Freestore Foodbank and for helping us pack 1,548 Power Packs to feed children in our local schools. We are fortunate to have you in our community.

Congratulations Class #179 of Cincinnati COOKS! We are so proud of you!

Generous Grants Help Sustain Our Power Pack Program

Power Pack is Freestore Foodbank’s largest anti-hunger program for children, bringing essential food to 5,200 students at their schools every Friday. Recent grants from the Charles H. Dater Foundation, Tyson Foods and the William P. Anderson Foundation are critical to the success of this program.

“Hunger relief is the primary way Tyson Foods gives back to the communities where our team members live and work,” said Debra Vernon, senior director, corporate social responsibility, Tyson Foods. “This grant will support Freestore Foodbank’s Power Pack program at four schools in Campbell County, Kentucky. We are delighted to provide nearly 300 children each week with nutritious food to sustain them over each weekend of the school year.”

In the 20 counties served by Freestore Foodbank, over 82,000 children do not know where they will find their next meal. During the week, many of these children depend on school breakfast and free or reduced lunch programs. Unfortunately, those essential meals are not available over the weekend, often resulting in hunger.

Young children struggling with hunger are more likely to have attendance, performance and behavioral issues at school. In addition, they face higher rates of long-term problems with their physical and mental health.

Power Packs help solve these problems by providing children with weekend food assistance. Every Friday, children are sent home with a Power Pack that includes 14 kid-friendly items that are ready to eat and nutritious. During the last school year, Freestore Foodbank distributed over 200,000 Power Packs, each one assembled by volunteers at our distribution center in Bond Hill.

“One of the Dater Foundation’s first grants back in the mid-1980s was to Freestore Foodbank,” said Bruce Krone, President, Charles H. Dater Foundation. “Our focus is on ‘enriching young lives’ and we’re pleased to continue our support with grants to the Power Pack childhood hunger prevention program.  That one in five children experiences food insecurity is a stunning statistic.  This program effectively fills gaps when school meals are not available.

Freestore Foodbank’s Power Pack program would not be possible without recent grants from Charles H. Dater Foundation, Tyson Foods and the William P. Anderson Foundation, as well as thousands of individual donors, foundations and companies who share their time and financial resources throughout the year to provide the food essential to help local children to grow and thrive.

The William P. Anderson Foundation has supported Freestore Foodbank since the early 1990s. Over the last decade, the Foundation has focused their grants on our programs addressing childhood hunger, especially Power Pack.

If you would like to support the Power Pack program, please contact Jean Reisinger Coggan, jcoggan@freestorefoodbank.org or 513-482-3730.

Volunteer Connection – April 2019

Help Us Turn Hunger
Into Hope in 2019

All volunteers are welcome to join our team as TOGETHER, WE CAN SOLVE HUNGER! Individuals may self-register and groups may request special dates by visiting our website: freestorefoodbank.volunteerhub.com.  Email our Volunteer Engagement Specialist, Carolyn Frank at volunteer@freestorefoodbank.org or call 513-482-7550 for further assistance.

Mayerson Distribution Center
Located at 1250 Tennessee Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229.

Calling those who want to make a difference this spring! Help the young in age and young at heart as we finish up packing Power Packs for the school year. Senior Boxes and Food Storing are next on our busy production schedule for April.

If summer is calling and you are beginning to make your summer vacation plans, remember to include a day or two at the Mayerson Distribution Center!  We will be packing summer meals for kiddos, preparing ducks for the Regatta and everyone is invited!  Make your reservations today!

Regular Warehouse Shifts: Shifts are held Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Both individuals and groups are welcome at the Distribution Center. Volunteers must be at least 13 years of age to volunteer. Student 13-18 years old must have parental consent and students 13-15 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. 

Don’t forget about two Special Volunteer Events for Special Groups!

First Saturdays are Family Saturdays!

Looking for a fun family experience?  Have a couple of hours to give service?  Bring your entire family and help us feed our neighbors.  The warehouse usually has an age restriction of 13 years, but on the first Saturdays of the month, children 8 and older are invited to come with their families to volunteer!  What a great way to serve our community and grow as a family at the same time.  January and February family days were a huge success!  Make sure to register your family before spaces fill up!

Thursday Nights are Student Nights!

Calling all Students (16 and over)! Interested in earning some of your student service hours while having some fun? Reserve your spot and come on out to the Freestore Foodbank’s Mayerson Distribution Center on Thursday nights for Student Nights! Bring some friends and we promise you’ll have a great time helping us solve hunger in our community!  Sign up online.  No Walk Ins please.

The Giving Fields  (scheduling begins March 1st)
Located at 101 Anderson Lane, Melbourne, KY 41059

Spring has sprung and the Giving Fields is getting prepared to open for the season!  The Giving Fields, our community farm located in Melbourne, Kentucky approximately five minutes from NKU, officially opens in later this spring. Plans are in the works for preparing the grounds and planting of the plants and seeds for the first harvest.  All of the fresh produce grown on the farm will be given to partner food pantries and soup kitchens in Northern Kentucky.  This is a great volunteer opportunity for people of all ages. Families with children five years of age and older, high school and college students, as well as individuals and groups are welcome.

Regular Garden Shifts: Shifts are held beginning in May, Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30.  Both individuals and groups are welcome at the Giving Fields. Volunteers must be at least 5 years of age to volunteer. Children 5-17 years old must have written parental consent and students 5-16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. Ratio of adult to children must be 1 to 4. 

Week day registration for the season will open on April 22^nd. 

Liberty Street Market (formerly the Food Room on Liberty St)
Located at 112 E. Liberty, Cincinnati, OH 45202.

Up to three hundred people depend on the Liberty Street Market daily to provide emergency food for themselves and their families.  Our volunteers sort food, stock shelves, assist customers with their groceries outside of the building and load groceries into shopper’s vehicle in front of the building. Volunteers must be at least 16-years-old (with parental consent) to volunteer at this site.  Help us help our neighbors help themselves!

Liberty Street Market Shifts:  Individuals or groups of 15 or less can schedule a time to volunteer in the Liberty Street Market, Monday through Friday.

Check out this video about the Liberty Street Market: https://youtu.be/JILRvqojr3M

Healthy Harvest Mobile Market
At various locations throughout the community
Want to help bring healthy nutritious produce into the community?  Volunteer on a regular basis with the Healthy Harvest Mobile Market!  We are also in need volunteers once a month for the HHMM Clean Up Crew as well.  Contact Brandon Thomas, Volunteer Engagement Specialist at bthomas@freestorefoodbank.org for more details.

Cincinnati Cooks!/Lift the Tri-State Soft/Life Skills Instructors

Cincinnati Cooks! and Lift the Tri-State, FSFB’s premier workforce development programs, are  looking for a few new facilitators to lead their soft/life skill classes.  Topics of interest include: Interviewing 101, Resume Building/Writing, Customer Service, Diet/Nutrition, Effective Communication/Listening, Time Management, Conflict Resolution, and Anger/Stress Management.  If interested, contact Brandon Thomas, Volunteer Engagement Specialist at bthomas@freestorefoodbank.org for more details.

All volunteers are welcome to join our team as TOGETHER, WE CAN SOLVE HUNGER! Individuals may self-register and groups may request special dates by visiting our website: freestorefoodbank.volunteerhub.com.  Email our Volunteer Engagement Specialist, Carolyn Frank at volunteer@freestorefoodbank.org or call 513-482-7550 for further assistance.

Join our Facebook Freestore Foodbank Volunteer Page to view all of our pictures of our exciting volunteers in action in the past few months!

Thank you to the following groups for your support in March 2019!
We sincerely appreciate their continued support and contribution of their time.