“It’s a Great Mission”

When Maureen retired as principal at a local Catholic school a few years ago, she wanted to find something meaningful that she could continue to give her time to each week.

Because they did a lot of service work with food pantries through the school, it was a natural choice for her to join the volunteer crew with IPM Food Pantry in Cincinnati.

“I love it. The people are great,” Maureen says. “It’s a great mission.”

IPM Food Pantry is a Freestore Foodbank partner pantry that distributes about 1 million pounds of food each year through their new choice pantry, mobile and pop-up pantries and drive-through distributions. They also provide Power Packs full of food for students to have over the weekends, and Backpacks of Basics that include items to meet the immediate needs of people who are unsheltered.

The “Tuesday Team,” as Maureen calls her group, was helping with a drive-through distribution, giving fresh produce, pantry items, and things like milk and eggs to the neighbors who drove through.

“You don’t have to prove anything,” Maureen explains. “You just need it, you get it. The people who come can keep their dignity, too.”

Maureen says they see a lot of very appreciative people each week. The food they can access here helps them make it through to the next paycheck.

“There are so many people who say, ‘thank you for doing this.’ You’re just helping them help their families,” she says.

Your support of Freestore Foodbank ensures community partners like IPM Food Pantry reach neighbors facing hunger throughout our tristate area.