Press Release

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul-Cincinnati is pleased to partner with The Cincinnati Reds and News 5 for the seventh year to Strike Out Hunger. Volunteers from St. Vincent de Paul will be will be collecting food Friday and Saturday, June 7 and 8, before and during the Reds vs. Cardinals games at Great American Ball Park to feed families in need in Cincinnati.

Fans who donate a minimum of two non-perishable food items in designated food collection barrels will receive a View Level ticket to either the July 2 game versus the San Francisco Giants or the August 21 game versus the Arizona Diamondbacks, pending availability, limit one ticket per person. Barrels will be available inside the Reds Front Office lobby (next to ticket windows) for fans without a game ticket. The 2012 St. Vincent de Paul Reds Food Drive collected over 10,000 lbs of food and provided more than 8,500 meals.

Now more than ever, families struggling to make ends meet are living in every corner of Greater Cincinnati. A recent study by The Brookings Institution shows an 83 percent increase in suburban poverty in our region since 2000.

“Many visitors to our food pantries are asking for help for the first time.  After making sacrifices to keep up with the cost of living, they simply have nowhere else to turn for food.” said Liz Carter, executive director of St. Vincent de Paul-Cincinnati.

In 2012, St. Vincent de Paul provided food to more than 100,000 people in neighborhoods throughout Cincinnati, enough people to fill Great American Ballpark two and a half times. St. Vincent de Paul operates many food services throughout Cincinnati, including the Edyth and Carl Lindner Choice Food Pantry in the West End, nine neighborhood-based pantries and many food closets.  More than 900 parish-based volunteers visit the homes of struggling families in their own neighborhoods to provide basic necessities such as food.

“The Cincinnati Reds are committed to alleviating hunger in our community,” said Lindsey Lander, Reds director of community relations. “We are proud to partner once again with St. Vincent de Paul as well as our fans to help local neighbors in need.”

For more information regarding the Reds Food Drive for St. Vincent de Paul, contact Reds Community Relations at 513-765-7018.  For more information about donating or volunteering please contact 513-562-8841, ext. 220 or visit www.SVDPcincinnati.org.

About St. Vincent de Paul

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) has been helping Greater Cincinnati and Hamilton County residents in need with the basic necessities of life for more than 140 years. The organization works personally with those in need, regardless of race or creed, to bridge the spiritual, emotional and material gaps in their lives through home visits provided by neighborhood-based volunteer groups, and groundbreaking initiatives like the Charitable Pharmacy as well as our network of seven food pantries and seven thrift stores and donation centers across Cincinnati. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul continues to be a leading community service organization, recently recognized as a One Award Finalist, by The Better Business Bureau (BBB) as a Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics winner and by The CincinnatiUSA Regional Chamber of Commerce as Non-Profit of the Year. For more information visitwww.SVDPcincinnati.org.