CINCINNATI — St. Vincent de Paul's annual Thanksgiving meal kit giveaway will happen tomorrow.
The organization plans to distribute over 1,000 meal kits that provide the ingredients needed to create a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, including fresh produce, a turkey and a roasting pan.
The giveaway starts at 9 a.m. at the Neyer Outreach Center at 1146 Bank Street in the West End. Anyone looking to pick up one of the meal kits may want to get there early, because neighbors often line up outside the center ahead of 9 a.m.
This year, St. Vincent de Paul noted there is "unprecedented need," after food costs have risen in recent years and thousands of people — at least 97,000 individuals in Hamilton County alone — were forced to go much of the November month without access to SNAP benefits during the federal government shutdown.
St. Vincent de Paul's vice president of external relations, Kaytlynd Lainhart, said food prices are up roughly 11% for families in the Greater Cincinnati region.
"What we're seeing on the ground is urgent," said Brad McMonigle, CEO at SVDP.
The organization said it has experienced a 53% year-over-year increase in the amount of Greater Cincinnati residents turning to its food pantries for help.
In the past year, the food pantry has served over 26,000 households, feeding over 82,000 people.
