Over 12,500 volunteers gave the gift of themselves in 2018 as they offered their hands, hearts, and spirits to solve hunger. The Volunteer Engagement Team is very thankful. We could not fight hunger without the continued support, passion and time of our volunteers. We wish everyone a happy healthy 2019 and we hope to see you again very soon!

We wrapped up 2018 with a big red bow with the following events:

Holiday Food Distributions – Christmas
Our annual Christmas Food Distribution made a huge impact thanks to the support of our staff and volunteers. We provided food for a Christmas meal to help more than 11,000 individuals over the course of two days. 724 volunteers donated 2,240.5 hours of their time – a true gift this holiday season.

Adopt –A – Family
One hundred twenty families received holiday gifts this year through our Adopt-a-Family program. Thanks to the volunteers and donors who helped to make this possible. Thank you to volunteer, Susan Ede and their team for bringing a special joy to these families this year.

VOLUNTEER

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.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Distinguished Speaker Series & Annual Meeting – on January 24th
Volunteers are needed to assist with event set up and breakdown. This is an evening volunteer opportunity at 6:30 p.m. or 9:30 p.m. and located at the Mayerson Distribution Center, 1250 Tennessee Avenue.

An Opportunity to share Professional Skills
Volunteers are needed to teach special professional skill based seminars in both our workforce development programs: Cincinnati Cooks! and LIFT the tristate. During both of the 10-week courses, students learn the mechanics of either a commercial kitchen or a working warehouse, as well as professional and life skills to ensure success in the industry and in their personal lives. Volunteer teachers are needed to present curriculum on resume writing, interviewing, conflict resolution, great work habits and much more. If you are interested in teaching and sharing your professional knowledge contact Brandon Thomas, Volunteer Engagement Specialist directly at bthomas@freestorefoodbank.org or call 513-482-7547.


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

Group and Individual Activities
Calling those who want to make a difference this new year! Power Packs are bags of food that are given to some area children who usually receive a free or reduced breakfast and lunch at school during the week. The Power Pack is intended to provide supplemental food to get them through the weekend. The Senior Box is a box of food to assist many of the elderly on a monthly basis supplement their regular monthly needs. Help us kick off 2019 as we continue to work together to solve hunger!

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.

Coming in January: Two NEW 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. Activities include packing Power Packs for children and Senior Boxes for the elderly as well as food sorting from all of the holiday donations given this season.

Thursday Nights are Student Nights!
Are you a high school or college student and need community services hours for school or a specific project? Here’s your chance to earn three hours of credit while helping your community. Students assist with sorting donations from canned food drives, assembling Power Packs, and/or a variety of simple projects during the volunteer session. Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age and in need of community service hours for high school, college, grants, or civic group requirement.


Liberty Street Market (formerly Liberty Street Market)
Located at 112 E. Liberty, Cincinnati, OH 45204.

The Liberty Street Market (formerly known as the Food Room) has a new and improved look and name! Consider volunteering in our updated space and help us serve up to 300 people daily.

Liberty Street Market Shifts: Individuals or groups of 10 or less can schedule a time to volunteer in the Liberty Street Market, Monday, Tuesday, Thursdays and Friday from 8am-4pm. Projects include food sorting, restocking shelves with groceries, assisting customers with their groceries outside of the building and loading groceries in their vehicle in front of the building. Volunteers must be at least 16-years-old (with parental consent) to volunteer at this site.


The Giving Fields (closed for the season)
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. Registration will open at the beginning of February for the 2019 growing season. 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. The farm is slated to reopen in early April – weather permitting.

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.

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!

Other Ways to Help

Food Drive with the Cincinnati Symphony OrchestraFood and Fund Drives

Donations of canned goods are needed all year around, not just at the holidays! If you
would like to organize a canned food OR fund drive, please contact Bob Barnes at 513-482-4517.

Are you interested in becoming a member of the Freestore Foodbank team? Please click here for our current employment opportunities.


Thank you to the following groups for your support in December 2018!
We sincerely appreciate their continued support and contribution of their time.

Mayerson Distribution Center (Tennessee Avenue)

84.51
Accounting Principals
Ameriprise Financial
Bethel ALB Program Cooperative
Blue Mark Capital, LLC
Bobbie B. Fairfax School
Cengage
Cincinnati Bell
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati Waldorf School
Fidelity Investments
Fifth Third Bank
General Electric
General Mills
Ghirardelli
Humana
Kelly Youth Services
Kiwanis – Cincinnati
Kiwanis – Greenhills Forest Park
Kroger
Procter and Gamble
Quality Mechanicals Inc.
Reading Rock
Redeemer Church
Retail Odyssey
Rue Family
Star Dance
The RCF Group
tristate Freethinkers
University of Cincinnati Lambda Chi
USBank
Waverly’s Hope Childcare LLC
Western Southern Financial
World Pay

Liberty Street Market (formerly Liberty Street Market)

Cincinnati Early Learning Centers, Inc.
Easter Seals Tristate
Faith Temple Ministries
Hillman Group
Medtronic
University of Cincinnati
University Of Cincinnati Medical Center
Welch’s

Holiday Operations - Christmas

Amazon
Ameritas
Beechwood High School
Brausch Family
Brown and Caldwell
Catalina Marketing
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Cintas
Clean Harbors
Close the Loop, Inc.
Concentrix
Corporex Companies
Droder & Miller
Fidelity Investments
Fifth Third Bank
Gateway Community and Technical College
General Electric
Getronics
Girl Scouts
GNGF
Gray Family
Health Collaborative
KLH Engineers
Kroger
Marsh Family
Nestle
News America
Pep Promotions
Procter and Gamble
ProPharma Sales
Rhinegeist Brewery
Salesforce.com
SouthWest Ohio Assoc. for Financial Professionals
Sysco Cincinnati
Talmetrix
The Clorox Company
The Gap
The Westin Cincinnati
tristate Freethinkers
TruPartner Credit Union
Tyson Foods, Inc.
Unilever Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
Velosio
World Pay
Yorio Family