A press release from The Foodbank Inc. said that information from Map the Meal Gap “estimates more than 5,000 Preble County residents struggle with food insecurity, and nearly 1,400 are children.”
“We have seen some increase in need as food, energy and gas prices continue to rise, but we are here to help fill that gap so no one feels they must skip meals to make ends meet,” Michelle L. Riley, CEO of The Foodbank, said.
People were asked to bring bags and carts for food that may be potentially heavy. All products and produce are free of charge, the release said.
A Darke County client at the foodbank named Lois Hoschluer said the foodbank helps supplement her at home and that she only gets what she needs.
“I don’t take anything I don’t need,” Hoschluer said.
Hoschluer said the event is a good thing as it cuts down on her bills and provides her with the staple items she needs while living on a fixed income.
CareSource served as a sponsor again this year and had members volunteering and helping with pass out food, according to the release.
“I come to here [the Foodbank] because if I don’t, I don’t get to eat because I am on a fixed income and all my medical conditions, I don’t have money for food,” Ruby Roberts who hails from West Manchester said. “This is where I get my food. I wouldn’t get to eat but maybe one meal a day if I didn’t come here and get the food they provide for us.”
Roberts said that if she gets more than what she needs, she passes it onto her neighbors and people that she knows will use it.
A mobile clinic from Premier Health was also be on site to provide free and option health services such as glucose screenings, cholesterol and biometrics.
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