Chillicothe Food Bank Feeds Ross County, Ohio Residents

Along with fellow freelance writers on Associated Content, I recently took on a challenge to bring awareness to the growing problem of hunger in the U.S. as unemployment rates continue to skyrocket. For my pledge, I bought extra groceries on my last trip to town so that I could donate to a local food pantry in Chillicothe, Ohio.

When I looked for information online about where I might donate here in Chillicothe, I was surprised to find very little information other than an organization name - The Good Samaritan Network of Ross County.

Good Samaritan has no website. Nothing that shows hours of operation. No list of items desperately needed. No way to determine who is eligible to receive items from the food pantry. I googled everything imaginable and got little but frustration for my efforts.

Although Chillicothe isn't a large city by most standards, I would have expected more of an internet presence from a city whose population nears 22,000. Being a writer, I set out to change that, if in just one small way. Armed with what little information I did find (which consisted merely of phone number and address), I called to inquire as to what hours they accepted donations, grabbed the grocery sacks and set out on my mission.

Upon arriving at 133 E 7th Street, I met with Good Samaritan's Assistant Manager, Bob Cordes, who agreed to show me around the facility and answer a few questions. It was apparent from the onset that the food pantry was well managed and they ran a well organized outfit.

Volunteers scurried through the building, weighing and sorting donations before placing them on open shelves, to later be put into grocery sacks on yet more racks. Bags pre-staged that held a certain amount and type of food based on the size of the family unit cut down the time needed to service the client; referral information is shown to the volunteer at the entrance, the recipients are given their bag(s) and are on their way out the door in minutes. What I witnessed wasn't dissimilar to my memories of bucket-issue in boot camp some thirty-plus years ago.

Unlike some food pantries, Good Samaritan has a certain amount of perishable foods on hand, most donated by local stores. Clients always receive canned goods and boxed meals, but on a well-stocked day may also get butter and cheese, or milk and eggs to go with their breakfast cereal. Special food baskets are also available a few days prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.

No one can walk in off the street to get food; several churches and social services agencies in the area are set up to provide referral authorization, as are the Salvation Army and social workers at the VA Medical Center in Chillicothe. Once eligibility is established, the client should bring the referral document to the food bank, where enough food is given to each recipient to feed their family three meals a day for five days during each thirty day period of eligibility.

The food bank run by the Good Samaritan Network of Ross County receives donations from local stores, private individuals, and church and civic organizations in the area. In partnership with Mid-Ohio Food Bank, they are able to purchase food from the larger facility in Columbus at pennies on the dollar, stretching monetary donations to the fullest.

If you or your organization wish to volunteer or hold a food drive to help feed your neighbors in Ross County, please contact Good Samaritan at 740-774-6303. Financial donations may be mailed to P.O. Box 1780, Chillicothe, OH 45601.

Further information on hours of operation, available volunteer opportunities and where to get eligibility referrals may be found here.

Source:
Meeting with Bob Cordes, Asst Mgr, Good Samaritan Network, July 19, 2010