Freestore Foodbank kept its doors open through Christmas Eve to make sure families had groceries for the holidays.
The market gave 50 pounds of food to each family who shopped.
"It's nice because not everybody has someone who cares," shopper Victoria Sprechera said.
Sprechera is currently unemployed, pregnant and taking care of her family. She said she was worried about where her family's next meal would come from.
"[There's] not really food places open today so we just got a few groceries," she said.
Sprechera grabbed bacon, canned goods, pasta and more from the market. Michael Truitt, Freestore Foodbank's director of community partnerships and programs, said food insecurity has increased due to a decrease in government spending and inflation affecting the cost of living and groceries.
"It spells disaster for a lot of families," Truitt said.
According to the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, food banks in 2023 saw a 34% increase in families taking home groceries from food banks compared to 2022. That's a 56% increase from 2019.
Truitt said some families come in with difficult decisions, and he hopes the market alleviates some of their stress.
“We’re here to make sure they don't have to make that decision and do everything we can to eliminate that. But a lot of families do have to make tough decisions whether it's rent, medication, gifts for their kids," he said.
Above all, Truitt said, everyone deserves food on their table.
"We can't solve all the world's problems, but when it comes to food, we’re here to support those folks," he said.
More information about the Freestore Foodbank can be found here.
