I believe one of the reasons we were included in this tour was because of a post from last October, where we asked our readers to vote for which Cincinnati nonprofit or charity should receive a small donation we were making. You guys chose Freestore (and WVXU), and I'm fairly sure that's why we were contacted.
The tour of the Freestore Foodbank was amazing. Admittedly I didn't know a ton about Freestore beforehand; I knew the basics, but I had no idea about all of the programming that Freestore offers to help people get their lives back on track. I was particularly interested to learn about Cincinnati COOKS! and Cincinnati COOKS! Catering, which provided the (delicious) food that we were offered upon arrival. These programs help train people who have difficulty getting back into the job market-- when they have a record, for instance.
The people at Freestore really focused on the "dignity" aspect of what they do-- programs like Cincinnati COOKS! are "give a hand up, not a handout," as they like to say. There are a slew of other programs that Freestore maintains as well, such as giving less privileged kids warm meals at the end of a school day. I was surprised to hear about the varied programs and how much psychology goes into making sure people are helping themselves, gaining dignity and self esteem, and coming away with something more than a bag of canned food.
More than once, they mentioned that food is "the beginning of the conversation," and that their real strength is in helping people after the visit to Freestore-- they act as a resource to put these people in touch with agencies if they need help paying rent and other bills, or even preparing for everyday things like visiting the BMV. It goes much deeper than handing out parcels of food, but that's where the dialogue begins.
We concluded, of course, by talking about various ways that the community can be involved. The Rubber Duck Regatta is approaching, so we were able to visit the slews of plastic ducks that the Freestore team is preparing. One things that lodged itself into my mind (as I am always looking for ways to help out that aren't direct donations, as I am often cash-strapped) is couponing. They suggested that when you find really great coupons for things that you wouldn't normally buy, that you pick the items up anyway (for dirt cheap!) and donate them to the Freestore Foodbank. Smart smart smart.
I'm grateful that you guys chose Freestore Foodbank to support back in October. This brought an incredible nonprofit to my attention in a powerful way, and I look forward to more opportunities to support Freestore, be it with time, talent or treasure.
Lauren: Thank you so much for having us!
Freestore Foodbank website: http://www.fsfbmedia.org/
2 comments:
you guys are getting invited to places now? that's fucking awesome! way to go. And great post too.
I love when food banks send food home with kids on Fridays. It's a program that really makes sense. Here, a local church sponsors our school and not only pays for but also stuffs the bookbags every Thursday afternoon to get them ready to go home on Fridays.
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