Make a difference: Free grocery store needs kitchen basics, food items

With God’s Grace wants to help people become self-sufficient

Credit: Staff

Credit: Staff

A year-round grocery store that opened in Northridge in December is providing free food to the needy. With God’s Grace serves residents of Montgomery, Preble and Greene counties. According to founder and executive director Nicole Adkins, the organization provided 3.3 million pounds of food to clients in the Miami Valley in 2020. Shoppers must have an appointment and be referred or sent by agencies.

“They may shop for food to supplement their income during times of crisis and as they work toward self-sufficiency,” explains Adkins. “A philosophy of community empowerment means we aim to solve hunger issues in our community by developing programs to meet the needs of the community, including partnering with other organizations on issues of food security.”

The nonprofit will offer literacy and cooking classes and can refer its shoppers to job-training programs and other assistance to help them become more self-sufficient.

Adkins says during COVID, her volunteers have seen an increase in families having to choose between paying rent and buying food.

In addition to food donations, the organization is always in need of new kitchen items for clients. “We have talked to several clients and found they don’t have any way to cook a hot meal for their families,” Adkins says. “They don’t have small things we take for granted.”

She says they’ve also discovered that some of their elderly clients were always looking for pop-top cans. “We were very surprised to find out that they were unable to use a manual can opener because they do not have enough strength and they can’t afford an electric can opener,” she says. “We also had a client who was only eating out of cans because everything they owned had recently been lost in a house fire.”

Several clients, Adkins adds, have been evicted due to the pandemic and now are living in a hotel and only able to bring in a microwave for cooking. Three clients don’t have a working stove and are also only using a microwave to eat. “If they had a hot plate they could cook meals,” she notes.

What they need

  • Countertop toaster ovens
  • Single and double hot plates
  • Sets of dishes
  • Pots and pans
  • Electric can openers
  • 18-quart roaster ovens
  • Sets of silverware
  • Canned pineapple, peas, carrots, spaghetti sauce
  • Hamburger Helper
  • Laundry detergent
  • Paper towels
  • Baby diapers, size 6

Donations can be made at the store, 5505 North Dixie Drive, Harrison Twp., Ohio, 45414.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. You’re asked to come to the side door and ring the bell.

With God’s Grace has also put together an Amazon wish list for items that would be beneficial for clients to help them to be able to cook healthy meals.

Want to shop?

To shop at the free store, an appointment is required. Families can sign up at the web site withgodsgracepantry.org. A photo ID for each adult in the household, birth certificate for every child in the household and proof of address will be required when signing up.

After the initial visit to the store, families will only need to sign in when shopping.

Want to volunteer?

Volunteers are always needed. Call (937) 397-4124 for more information.

Can your group use plastic containers?

A reader who saves and cleans the plastic food containers from her restaurant pick-ups would love to know of an organization that might be able to use them. If your group could make use of the clean containers, let us know.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Meredith Moss writes about Dayton-area nonprofit organizations and their specific needs. If your group has a wish list it would like to share with our readers, contact Meredith: meredith.moss@coxinc.com.

Please include a daytime phone number and a photo that reflects your group’s mission.

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