About 300,000 individuals within the Tri-State area are food insecure; and about 100,000 of them are children.
“The economic crisis over recent years is not news to anybody, and unfortunately, that’s had a strong impact on the people in this community—especially a lot of middle-class families who have traditionally worked hard and been able to provide for themselves,” says Eric Young, community relations manager of the
Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
According to Young, many of those individuals in need of food are now coming to SVDP for the first time in their lives.
“We’ve heard far too often, ‘I used to donate to you guys, and I never thought I’d be on this end of things and have to come to you for help,’” Young says.
At a time of year when food supplies donated during the holiday season are gone, and as schools approach summer vacation, SVDP and other local food providers are struggling.
“Schools are a source for a lot of food drives, and during the summer, those drives don’t happen,” Young says. “And at the same time, there’s a lot of students who receive a meal at school, and for many of them, that’s the best and most nutritious meal they receive all day. And when summer comes, there are some programs that allow students to get these meals, but for far too many, they don’t get them.”
It’s more important than ever, Young says, that communities come together to help neighbors in need.
One way the organization is succeeding at this is through a
partnership with local Papa John's Pizza restaurants, where patrons will receive free pizza for their canned food donations. It's an effort to assist SVDP by turning 20,000 pizzas into enough non-perishable donations to provide 120,000 meals to those in need.
“It really is a neighbor-to neighbor program,” Young says. “There are groups in Clermont County who are collecting donations at stores from Clermont." The same program is going on in Butler County and Northern Kentucky, and that food will all be used in those counties, he says.
SVDP also provides person-to-person assistance by visiting clients and providing everything from clothing and furniture to assistance with rent, utilities and even prescription medication. While it’s not unusual, Young says, to see a hug or a handshake, it’s ultimately food that is at the core of the organization’s mission.
“I can’t stress enough how basic, how important food is,” Young says. “There are things you can find ways around, but you have to eat to survive.”
Do Good:
• Participate in the
SVDP/Papa John's Food Drive.
• Provide
financial support to SVDP.
•
Donate items to SVDP and call 421-CARE for free pick-up.
By Brittany York
Brittany York is a professor of English composition at the University of Cincinnati and a teacher at the Regional Institute of Torah and Secular Studies. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.