WALNUT HILLS, Ohio — A new Walnut Hills restaurant stepped up to serve its community Tuesday ahead of Thanksgiving, providing 150 free meals to those in need.
Confessions Bar and Restaurant Lounge organized the giveaway as a way of giving back to the neighborhood that has supported them since they opened five months ago.
The small Black-owned business has made community support a priority since its opening. When residents' cars were broken into recently, the restaurant quickly stepped in to help.
"In our community, when things are, you know, tense or stressful, we look for ways to decompress. And so this space is something like that for people, for you to come and get away from the problems you're experiencing at home," said Ashley Amber, Director of Marketing and PR for Confessions Bar and Restaurant Lounge.
WATCH: Confessions Bar steps up for a neighborhood where 41% live in poverty
The need for this support is significant in Walnut Hills. According to the city's latest Climate Equity Indicators Report, 41% of people are living in poverty in the neighborhood.
Arnez Sanders, who lives nearby, said finding meals remains a daily struggle for many residents.
"Kids are hungry too, especially at the building I'm at ... so this is actually a good thing," said Sanders.
The community responded with overwhelming support. Owners of the Silk by Andrea D, The Balloon Parlor and Saturday Morning Vibes Cereal Bar stepped in to help, and volunteers of all ages showed up to assist with the meal distribution.
"Sometimes they're just looking for a happy face, a friendly face and a smile. If I get that today, I'm grateful," said Tashonda Wooten, owner of The Balloon Parlor.
All 150 meals were distributed.
"Even though you may be going through something, there's always someone out there who may be having a harder time than you," said Andrea Wortham of Silk by Andrea D.
Arielle Nelson, owner of the Cereal Bar, said the impact was meaningful.
"If you know us, you know we're always trying to help. Just being able to see that we made a small difference today, and hopefully these people will reach out to understand that they have someone that they can probably reach out to or lean on in the future," Nelson said.
Danielle Thompson from the African American Chamber of Commerce emphasized the importance of local support.
"It's a lot of people going through personal things. We want them to know there's hope and encouragement right here in their community," Thompson said.
Next month, Confessions will be partnering with U.S. Foods to host another food drive ahead of Christmas. They are currently seeking more sponsors to double the number of people they serve.
