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“It’s dire,” said Terry Perdue, executive director of Shared Harvest Foodbank, the Fairfield-based organization that supplies local food pantries.
Shared Harvest and its affiliates distributed food to more than 48,000 residents throughout southwest Ohio last month, he said. That number increases by about 5,000 residents on average every month, he said.
This is at a time when Shared Harvest, due to reductions in government assistance, lost 1 million pounds of food since March, Perdue said.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Due to the federal government shutdown, benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, were suspended for the month of November causing food banks and food pantries to wonder how to keep their shelves filled.
Shared Harvest Food Bank, which serves five regional counties, will receive $1.43 million from the state of Ohio amid the suspension of SNAP benefits.
Perdue said that assistance isn’t immediate and because of that lag time, the wait for the funds is creating “a gap right now,” he said.
Perdue said families are dealing with all the evils of inflation — skyrocketing housing and grocery prices — and their finances are “very fragile,” he said.
Shared Harvest, even before the government shutdown, has tried to diversify its support. It used to receive 48% of its financial support from the government. But since grocery stores like Kroger and Meijer have increased their donations, Shared Harvest receives 25% from the government, according to Perdue.
There are 27 food pantries in Butler County, 13 in Warren County and four in Preble County, according to a listing on the Shared Harvest web site.
One of those is the Middletown Salvation Army food pantry.
Jane Fiessinger, coordinator of the food pantry, said it served about 1,200 Middletown, Monroe, Trenton and Madison Twp., clients last month, compared to 916 in October 2024.
She said that 31% year to year increase has been typical every month this year.
The Salvation Army is seeing an increase in new residents in the community, and clients who haven’t used the services in months, she said.
The cost of food at grocery stores is one of the driving forces for the need in food pantries, Fiessinger said.
“It makes it tough,” she said of the rising cost of groceries.
Dave and Barbara Martin have volunteered at the Salvation Army food pantry for about 20 years.
He said the food pantry has seen an increase in clients from the Hispanic community and homeless population.
“We don’t ask questions,” he said. “We serve the people.”
Some clients have told the volunteers without the food at the Salvation Army they “wouldn’t be eating.”
Founded in 1983 by Tina Osso, Shared Harvest, which serves Butler, Warren. Preble, Darke and Miami counties, is seeking donations of food to support families throughout the winter, according to Perdue.
Most needed items are canned vegetables, combination foods such as soup, mac & cheese, canned raviolis, proteins such as peanut butter, beans, and canned meats such as tuna and chicken.
Additionally, Perdue said, a $15 sponsorship will help provide a holiday meal to an average family of four.
Shared Harvest’s mission is to find, rescue, and distribute food to people living in poverty through an efficient network, utilizing the public and private sectors and to raise awareness of the impact of poverty, he said.
Butler County food pantries
FAIRFIELD
Fairfield Food Pantry
Address: 78 Donald Drive, Fairfield
Serves: Fairfield School District
Contact: 513-829-9047; fairfieldfoodpantry.org
FAIRFIELD TWP.
Princeton Pike COG-West
Address: 1815 Tuley Road, Fairfield Twp.
Serves: All of Butler County
Contact: 513-892-2768
HAMILTON
Allison Avenue Baptist
Address: 5915 Allison Ave., Hamilton
Serves: All of Butler County
Contact: 513-868-0641; aabc@cinci.rr.com
Christian Family Center
Address: 601 Heaton St., Hamilton
Serves: ZIP code of 45011
Contact: 513-227-3169
Hallelujah Nepali Ministry
Address: 1493 Parrish Ave., Hamilton
Serves: All of Butler County
Contact: 404-345-5136
House of Deliverance Worship Center
Address: 333 South 2nd St., Hamilton
Serves: All of Butler County
Contact: 513-884-8300
New Life Mission Inc.
Address: 415 Henry Street, Hamilton
Serves: All of Butler County
Contact: 513-896-9800; missionhamilton.org
New Life Vineyard Church
Address: 1701 Princeton Road, Hamilton
Serves: All of Butler County
Contact: 833-977-9700; office.nlv@gmail.com
Open Door Pantry
Address: 800 South Front St., Hamilton
Serves: All of Butler County
Contact: 513-868-3276; opendoorfoodpantry.org
Salvation Army (Hamilton) ; Address: 235 Ludlow St., Hamilton
Serves: All of Butler County
Contact: 513-863-1445; easternusa.salvationarmy.org/southwestohio/hamilton
Serve City Food Pantry
Address: 622 East Ave., Hamilton
Serves: Butler County residents
Contact: 513-737-8900; info@serve-city.org
MIDDLETOWN
Oaks Community Church
Address: 103 McKnight Dr., Middletown
Serves: All of Butler County
Contact: 513-810-3677; theoakscommunitychurch.org/food-pantry
Poasttown First Church of God
Address: 6376 Germantown Road, Middletown
Serves: Middletown, Trenton and Seven Mile
Contact: 513-804-4344; poasttownfcog@gmail.com
Salvation Army (Middletown)
Address: 1914 First Ave., Middletown
Serves: Middletown, Monroe and Trenton
Contact: 513-423-9452 https://easternusa.salvationarmy.org/southwestohio/middletown
St. Vincent de Paul
Contact: 24 Baltimore St., Middletown
Serves: ZIP codes of 45042, 45044, 45050 and 45067
Contact: 513-424-1985
Towne Blvd Church of God
Address: 3722 Towne Blvd., Middletown
Serves: ZIP codes of 45042, 45044 and 45005
Contact: 513-422-1021; towne.church/foodpantry/
NEW MIAMI
The Village Food Pantry
Address: 617-B Riverside Drive, New Miami
Serves: All of Butler County
Contact: 513-907-7481; info@villagefoodpantry.com
OXFORD
Talawanda Oxford Pantry & Social Services
Address: 5445 College Corner Pike, Oxford
Serves: Talawanda School District
Contact: 513-523-5859; topss.org
TRENTON/EDGEWOOD
Edgewood Area Ministerial Association
Address: 509 W. State St., Trenton
Serves: Edgewood School District
Contact: 513-468-0039; edgewoodma.com
WEST CHESTER TWP.
Blessed to Be a Blessing
Address: 9180 Cincinnati Columbus Road, West Chester Twp.
Serves: All of Butler County
Contact: 513-531-1888; communications@zgmstaff.org; zionglobalministries.org/blessed-to-be-a-blessingpantry-closet
Faith Community United Methodist
Address: 8230 Cox Road, West Chester Twp.
Serves: All of Butler County
Contact: 513-777-9533; faithcommunityumc.org/communityoutreach/food-pantry
Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati
Address: 8092 Plantation Drive, West Chester Twp.
Serves: All of Butler County
Contact: 513-757-9140; icgc.us/social-services-home
LifeChurch
Address: 8480 Cincinnati-Columbus Road, West Chester Twp.
Serves: All of Butler County
Contact: 513-777-4771; lifechurchwestchester.com/lifechurchpantry
Princeton Pike Church of God
Address: 6101 Princeton Glendale Road, West Chester Twp.
Serves: All of Butler County
Contact: 513-600-8140 ppcog.com/foodpantry
Reach Out Lakota
Address: 6561 Station Road, West Chester Twp.
Serves: Lakota School District
Contact: 513-779-7515; reachoutlakota.org
West Chester Nazarene Church
Address: 7951 Tylersville Road, West Chester Twp.
Serves: All of Butler County
Contact: 513-777-6300; wcn.church/food-clothing-pantry
Soup kitchens and shelters
New Life Mission Inc.
Address: 415 Henry St., Hamilton
Hours: Noon to 1:30 p.m., Mondays to Thursdays (open to the public)
Contact: 513-896-9800; missionhamilton.org
First United Methodist Church (in partnership with Princeton Pike Church of God)
Address: 225 Ludlow St., Hamilton
Hours: 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. fourth Saturday of the month (open to the public)
Contact: 513-867-1995
Pike City Church (in partnership with Princeton Pike Church of God)
Address: 412 S. Front St., Hamilton
Hours: 12:15 to 2 p.m. Sundays, 6 to 7 p.m. last Monday of the month (open to the public)
Contact: 513-867-1995
Salvation Army (Hamilton)
Address: 235 Ludlow St., Hamilton
Hours: 11 a.m. to noon, Fridays (open to the public)
Contact: 513-863-1445; easternusa.salvationarmy.org/southwestohio/hamilton
Salvation Army (Middletown)
Address: 1914 First Ave., Middletown
Hours: 11 a.m. to noon, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays (open to the public)
Contact: 513-423-9452; https://easternusa.salvationarmy.org/southwestohio/middletown
Feed the Hungry Project
Address: 834 Yankee Road, Middletown
Hours: Breakfast 8 to 10 a.m. and dinner: 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays (dine-in only)
Contact: 513-423-0433; feedthehungryproject@gmail.com
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