LOVELAND, Ohio — Food pantries around the tri-state area are seeing more and more people coming in looking for help, and Life Food Pantry in Loveland is no exception.
Executive Director Linda Bergholz said the pantry is being used by people who have never needed assistance before – many from communities who may not be food insecure.
“Loveland is a very affluent community, but there are areas throughout the area that need help that people are completely unaware of,” she said.
One reason for that increased demand is inflation, she said.
“Grocery store prices keep going up, but people’s wages aren’t going up,” Bergholz said.
In 2022, the pantry provided food to 3,161 households. Last year, that number jumped to 5,151. So far this year, it has provided food to 2,863 households.
As demand increases, pantries face space challenges.
The current location is about 1,400 square feet, and as soon as you walk through the door you realize there isn’t much space.
“We need more freezers … we need more refrigerators, but we don’t have anywhere to put them,” Bergholz said.
LIFE Food Pantry started at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church but outgrew that space about three years ago, and now Bergholz and other leaders have decided that relocating to another location is the answer to this latest challenge.
The new store is just a few doors down, but Bergholz said it’s three times the size of the current space.
“We’ll be able to offer more fresh products, more meat, dairy and produce,” she said.
Teri Carter is a longtime pantry volunteer who sees every day the impact residents can make in a small space and knows the move will help meet the needs of Loveland residents.
“To be able to make someone’s life a little bit easier, make them laugh, lighten their mood a little bit and at the same time let them know they don’t have to worry about food is the most important thing,” she said.
That’s because, for Carter and Bergholtz, the people who come to LIFE Food Pantry for help are family.
To make this solution a reality, they say the pantry needs help. They’ve started an Amazon wishlist to acquire shelves, tables, and other items they need to get their new location up and running. You can find that wishlist here.
Finding a solution
