Written by Mackenzie Manley, Content Specialist, Downtown Main Library
As Hamilton County residents brace for the loss of SNAP benefits, the Library and community partners are sharing food resources. According to WLWT, 97,000 people in Hamilton County — 40,000 of which are children — may lose food assistance by Nov. 1.
In 2024, the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library supplied 97,242 free meals and snacks for youth, which were funded by the USDA’s Child Nutrition Program with additional snack support provided by The Library Foundation of Cincinnati & Hamilton County.
Afterschool Meals and Snacks for Youth at the Library
Free meals are available Monday through Friday after school for kids and teens at select Library locations. Participants must eat their meals at the Library. Meals and snacks are provided with support from UMC Food Ministry.
View a full list of locations at CHPL.org/meals.
In 2024, 38,856 snacks were distributed at 31 library locations throughout Hamilton County thanks to funds provided through The Library Foundation. Nutritious snacks are available for youth who visit the Library for extended periods of time.
You can support this initiative by making a gift online to The Library Foundation’s Befriend a Branch program. Select “Snacks for Kids” and your donation amount, all of which will go toward purchasing healthy snacks for youth.
Produce Pop Up with Freestore Foodbank at the Covedale Branch
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, half of every meal should be made up of fruits and vegetables.
Thanks to the Library's long-term partners Freestore Foodbank and Anthem, the Covedale Branch hosts a Produce Pop-Up event every Thursday from 2-4 p.m., which is made possible through other community partners, food pantries, and organizations.
Free food for families is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Freestore Foodbank also compiled a map of pantries, pop up events, shelters, and soup kitchens.
Since the start of the Pop Ups program in July of 2023, the Covedale Branch has received 58,616.75 pounds of food from Freestore Foodbank, served 4,547 people, and fed 2,348 families or households.
Last Mile Market at the Price Hill Branch
Shop for free groceries every Monday from 1-3 p.m., while supplies last, at the Price Hill Branch’s Last Mile Market. Held in partnership with Last Mile Food Rescue, the market was founded as a direct response to the disconnect between food waste and hunger in the Greater Cincinnati area. Last Mile Food Rescue brings perfectly good surplus food to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity. The Market will be located inside the Price Hill Branch during the winter.
Community Resources Guide
Library staff compile a seasonal Community Resources Guide in English and Spanish that includes social services ranging from meals to food pantries to emergency shelters and more throughout Cincinnati and Hamilton County.
Times and dates are subject to change. The Library encourages you to call locations ahead of visiting to ensure food availability.
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