The United Way of Greater Cincinnati is helping restock local food pantries.
Complete release below:
Cincinnati, OH – United Way of Greater Cincinnati has issued three grants to help restore stocks of food at local food pantries and to support national hurricane recovery efforts in Texas, the Gulf Coast and the Southeast U.S.
The local grants are $12,500 to the FreestoreFoodbank and $2,500 to the Shared Harvest Foodbank.
UWGC president Robert C. Reifsnyder, in letters to the executive directors of the two United Way agency partners, said,
“September 2008 will long be remembered for the wind storm and subsequent blackout that brought many activities in our region to a halt. While many were able to cope through the assistance of family and friends, other individuals found themselves without even the basics – such as food. FreestoreFoodbank and Shared Harvest Foodbank stepped up and provided assistance to those in need.”
Reifsnyder said he recognizes that the grants don’t begin to cover the full actual cost, but hopes they will provide some relief to the agencies as they help local food pantries maintain their supplies.
United Way staff, along with other volunteers, also pitched in Thursday and Friday (9/25-26) to help the Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio, another agency partner, and its Meals on Wheels program pack food boxes for delivery to clients, mostly low-to-moderate income seniors – many with impairments, who need food replenishment in the wake of
the storm.
Reifsnyder said a $10,000 grant for the national hurricane recovery efforts was made to United Way of America’s Hurricane Recovery Fund. UWGC made a grant to a similar fund in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita three years ago.
UWGC’s Executive Committee approved the grants from the organization’s reserves.
