09/29/2026
Today is Hunger Action Day, September 29th
THE NEED
Across our 3-county service area in Scioto, Pike, and Adams Counties, Ohio more than 7,500 children live in households facing food insecurity. That’s over 1 in 4.
Food insecurity means not having consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. For children, it's often inconsistent. It moves with the calendar: the weekend after Friday school lunch, the summer when the cafeteria closes, the month rent went up, and the family’s grocery budget was forced to absorb it.
Families are already trying to cover those gaps by stretching meals, trading shifts, and driving across town. Our work is making sure the food is there when they reach for it.
THE PROGRAMS
Power Pack
Every Friday, students at 22 elementary schools across our 3 county service area take home 12 shelf-stable items chosen to be easy for a kid to open and prepare. Last school year we helped distribute 51,174 packs across 3 counties, reaching almost 1,500 students each week.
School Pantry
A pantry inside the school building, where families come daily and already feel comfortable. We operated in 9 sites last year, serving many families and their children with almost 75,000 pounds of food plus hygiene and household basics. Most use a choice model, because parents and kids know what their family needs.
WHAT HOLDS IT TOGETHER
Power Pack depends on the teacher who notices a child in need. School Pantry depends on the coordinator who runs it. All of it depends on our partner Cincinnati FreeStore FoodBank, our faithful donors, on volunteers who hand-assemble every single Power Pack at FreeStore, and on families who trust us enough to walk in the first time. And all these resources are just a part of the larger picture of our community’s ongoing support for local families seeking stability and nutrition. Schools, families, and communities all provide essential supports for local families.
It takes many people to make sure every person facing hunger gets the food they need. Wherever you are, you can do your part! We CAN end hunger, when we work together.
BE ONE OF THE PIECES
