Special Thanks to:

B.T. Graphics, West Chester, Ohio for our poster and logo designs

All School Districts in Warren County & the Warren County Career Center

Lebanon Schools Superintendent Mark North

Warren County United Way

All Participating Local Governments and Businesses

Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals

NE Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce Emerging Leaders

Mr. Jake Jones & his Warren County Building Services Staff

 

AND TO ALL OF THE RESIDENTS WHO CARE ENOUGH TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR!

 

  Text Box: Special Thanks to: B.T. Graphics, West Chester, Ohio for our poster and logo designs All School Districts in Warren County & the Warren County Career Center Lebanon Schools Superintendent Mark North Warren County United Way All Participating Local Governments and Businesses Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals NE Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce Emerging Leaders Mr. Jake Jones & his Warren County Building Services Staff   AND TO ALL OF THE RESIDENTS WHO CARE ENOUGH TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR!     Text Box:   Text Box:     “Fighting Hunger…            Feeding Hope”        Neighbor helping Neighbor!     Text Box:        Home       How to Help      Drop Off Locations      Progress Report                                                                                                                                                                              Text Box: “Our mission is to work together as a community and as neighbor helping neighbor to effectively feed people in need.” We have officially ended our 2009 Food Drive and we humbly thank everyone who participated. We surpassed our food goal by 43% and our Cash goal by 10%. We actually more than doubled our collection from 2008, because YOU answered the call to help your neighbors! THANK YOU!

Text Box: Connect Text Box:  Warren County Board of Commissioners, 406 Justice Drive, Lebanon, OH 45036 513-695-1250

Text Box: Click on the Logo Links below to learn more information about our partners! Text Box: Open Letter to the Warren County Communities:   On behalf of our Board of Commissioners and all local governments of Warren County, I would like to invite you, your family, school, business, organization and church to participate in our 4th Annual Countywide “Yes We Can Food Drive Challenge that runs from November 1st to December 31st.   We are thrilled that there are already over 100 Businesses and local Governments located throughout Warren County who have signed up to have a “Yes We Can” Food Barrel placed in their establishment throughout this coming holiday season.  Last year we had 55 drop off locations. While we welcome many more locations for our barrels, we need the residents, employees and businesses to help us keep those barrels filled with non-perishable and canned food items.   Last year, with the help of a lot of people, including the Lebanon & Franklin High School Basketball Teams and Cheerleaders, we collected 16 tons of food and over $17,000 in donations for our county’s United Way food pantries.   This year’s economy, increasing unemployment, escalating home foreclosure rates with many families just trying to hold on until they can get another job have been taking their toll on the Food Pantries serving all of the communities in our county.   More and more people, our neighbors, who never thought they would find themselves in a situation where they needed to ask for help to put food on their family table, are turning to local food pantries and the pantries are finding it next to impossible to meet the growing demand and needs.   Times are tough financially for government services too.  We have seen a 61% increase in the number of people receiving Food Stamp Assistance.  In the past few years, our poverty has grown from 6,400 people living in poverty (4.2% of our total population) to 15,771 (7.9%) people living in poverty. These numbers don’t include all the additional individuals and families who don’t meet the federal income guidelines of poverty but have lost their jobs or taken jobs paying far less than their financial obligations.  These are the people who are turning to our community and United Way food pantries for help.   Lebanon City Schools just started a weekend Food “Backpack for Kids” program because based on the numbers of children who qualify for the lunch program in Lebanon, approximately 7 children in each classroom of 28 students are living on the brink of hunger. That’s only 1 of our 8 school districts and children can’t learn well if they are hungry.   Despite the economy, Warren County seems to be fairing much better statistically than most other counties across this state and better times will return! What I have always treasured about Warren County is the way residents and businesses always seem to step up to help in times of need.   I hope that you will accept this invitation to join our “Yes We Can Food Drive Challenge” and  help stock the food pantry shelves across this county so no one in Warren County goes hungry through the Thanksgiving & Christmas Holidays and long winter months ahead.   P.S.  Please remember that we are accepting cash donations too so that our United Way Food Pantries can purchase "perishable" food items like milk, eggs, bread and meat.  Please consider making a cash donation by linking directly to the United Way on-line donation link or mail your check to: United Way, 645 Oak Street, Lebanon, OH 45036. Sincerely,   Pat South - Dave Young - Mike Kilburn WARREN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS & “Yes We Can Food Drive Challenge” Coordinators Text Box: Warren County’s 4th Annual Countywide Food Drive Kick-off - Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 10 a.m. During the Warren County Commissioner’s Meeting 406 Justice Drive, Lebanon Please join us! Text Box: Warren County’s 4th Annual Countywide Food Drive Kick-off - Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 10 a.m. During the Warren County Commissioner’s Meeting 406 Justice Drive, Lebanon Please join us! Text Box: Basketball for Food Games   

Text Box: Click here to view a Map of Unemployment Rates by County from January 2007 to September 2009.   October 2009 Unemployment Rates: Ohio 10.5% Warren County 8.7% Hamilton County 9.4% Butler County 9.5% Clermont County 9.7% Montgomery County 11.4% Clinton County 14.8%          

Text Box: Contact

 

 

 

Text Box: The outpouring of compassion and caring was absolutely unparalleled in this year's food drive by the residents and businesses of Warren County as we not only exceeded this year's goals but more than doubled the collections from the previous year, 2008. Our food pantries and their volunteers worked very hard to meet an average of 12-14% increased demand for food assistance this year.  They served 10,500 families ( 53,000+ individuals) and just in the month of December, they served 2,000 more families than usual.  The food that YOU donated, individually, through organizations & businesses or through the Basketball for Food Games allowed all of the pantries to meet every single request and on Christmas Eve, when their pantry shelves are normally bare, their freezers and shelves were nearly full.  Unfortunately though, the food that we collected will most likely only help the pantries fill the continued demands through mid to late January. Our Food Drive may be officially over but I hope that you will continue to provide assistance throughout the year.  For every $1 that you donate to the Food Pantries, they can purchase about $10 worth of food through Shared Harvest and other resources.  These donations can be made directly to the Food Pantry of your choice, United Way, or the Warren County Food Bank.  See contact list A HUGE THANK YOU TO JAKE JONES and the Warren County Building Services Staff for putting out over 115 food barrels, keeping the food collected, weighed, boxed and distributed to the 8 different food pantries. Let us pray that 2010 will bring a greatly improved economy with a major decrease in unemployment and under-employment. Most of all, may 2010 bring you and your family happiness, health and a wealth of family and friends.                                                            Sincerely,                                                            Commissioner Pat South                                                            2009 Food Drive Chairman                         Text Box: Donate $ through United Way

OUR FOOD DRIVE HAS OFFICIALLY ENDED AND WE THANK YOU AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL, BUSINESS, ORGANIZATION AND SCHOOL WHOSE DONATIONS EXCEEDED OUR GOAL BY 38 1/2%!  OUR UNOFFICIAL TOTAL:  71,612 POUNDS OF FOOD & $12,282 IN CASH!  On behalf of the 8 Food Pantries that we provided food and donations to and the residents who were served by these pantries, THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU!