CINCINNATI — Two freezers aim to improve the lives of residents in two Cincinnati neighborhoods — and their surrounding areas.
The program is called Cincy Freeze & Feed, and it's a brainchild created through the collaboration of the Cincinnati Health Department, Hamilton County ReSource, CareSource, the Cincinnati Recreation Commission and La Soupe.
Each week, Cincy Freeze & Feed will operate a free meal distribution at the Millvale Recreation Center and the Hirsch Recreation Center, to serve the surrounding neighborhoods in the Beekman corridor and the Avondale community.
Additionally, CareSource purchased and will operate two large freezers to preserve donated meals from La Soupe for those who need them. Those freezers will be accessible during the recreation centers' normal operating hours.
The goal of Cincy Freeze & Feed is to both reduce food waste in the Cincinnati area while also connecting those who need it with access to healthy, nutritious meals.
"This Cincy Freeze & Feed project is a unique collaborative effort, years in the making, between multiple organizations with a united goal of improving access to healthy foods while simultaneously reducing food waste," said Tiffany White, healthy communities program manager with the Cincinnati Health Department. "By working together, we've been able to bring forward a program that will make a bigger impact on food security in Cincinnati than any of our organizations could achieve alone."
La Soupe was founded in 2014 with the goal of bridging the gap between food waste and hunger, and the non-profit regularly picks up surplus foods from Cincinnati's stadiums, or from catering businesses and re-purposing that food into something community members can enjoy. Those offerings will now be available in the freezers supplied to the Millvale and Avondale Recreation Centers.
"Providing free, healthy food resources anonymously helps reduce the stigma often associated with hunger and food insecurity, allowing families to access support without fear or judgement, especially in areas that have been historically underserved by Cincinnati's food system," said Jasmine Robinson, public health educator for the Healthy Communities Program at the Cincinnati Health Department.
On Thursday, as part of the program's kickoff, meals will be distributed at the Hirsch Recreation Center in Avondale from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Residents do not need to register ahead of time to pick up meals.
"Access to healthy, nutritious food should be a fundamental right for everyone," said Daniel Betts, director of Cincinnati Recreation Commission. "Through partnerships with the Cincinnati Health Department, Hamilton County ReSource, CareSource, and La Soupe, we’re taking meaningful steps to address food insecurity while supporting the dignity of our community members. Our recreation centers are more than just spaces – they’re places of nourishment and support. This program reflects the power of collaboration and our commitment to healthier, more resilient neighborhoods."
Both Avondale and Millvale have grappled with the lack of a grocery store over the years. That's changed recently for Avondale, since the opening of The Country Meat Co. Marketplace, but Millvale residents still have to travel nearly 4 miles to reach a Kroger.
