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Washington, D.C. - On the fourth Thursday of each November, many U.S. families gather to give thanks for all of their blessings. Thanksgiving is also a time when, for many of us, helping those in need and feeding the hungry is as much a part of Thanksgiving as sitting down with our families to big holiday meals.
Each Thanksgiving I spend time at The Freestore Foodbank, which distributes food to about 350 member agencies in southern Ohio, northern Kentucky, and eastern Indiana and they have sadly been busy lately. It is moving some 18 million pounds of food to the soup kitchens, food pantries, and churches across the region. These organizations annually serve about a quarter of a million people who depend on them for something to eat.
And while our thoughts may turn to those who need a helping hand during the holiday season, according to Brian MacConnell, a Freestore Foodbank vice president, the need is more steady than seasonal. And, through the course of the year, many of the Freestore Foodbank’s clients have to make difficult choices between buying food and paying for housing, utilities, or medical care.
About three-fourths of the households served by the Freestore Foodbank are living below the federal poverty line, $22,050 for a family of four. Historically people who have needed assistance were poor and living in cities, but the need has spread to the suburbs and the rural areas. Today, about one out of three families seeking assistance have at least one adult who is employed.
Often the inclination is to look toward the government for this kind of help. And while there is some public aid for this purpose, 80 percent of the Freestore Foodbank’s donations come from private hands. It is a monument to the generosity of people and companies – individuals, grocery stores, restaurants, and food manufacturers -- in our region who donate cash, groceries, and their time so our neighbors won’t have to tell their kids there’s nothing for them to eat.
The need for food and assistance has been growing over the last few years. But, even as the State of Ohio has been struggling through a difficult economy, the donations of money and food have been rising.
The mission of the Freestore Foodbank is so important, and the outpouring of generosity from our community makes me proud to represent the Second Congressional District. It fills me with optimism for what we in Ohio can achieve through acts of kindness and generosity. It also shows me how important it is to help get our economy back on track, so that those in need of a helping hand today can find that job to help their families make ends meet.
I am so very thankful for the blessings I have and for the generosity and kindness of the people of the Second Congressional District. If you would like to help, I urge you to call the Freestore Foodbank at (513) 241-1064 for further information.
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