Fans who donate three non-perishable food items before the games on Friday and Saturday to receive a free ticket to a future Reds game

CINCINNATI, July 19, 2022 – St. Vincent de Paul and the Cincinnati Reds are partnering to “Strike Out Hunger” across Greater Cincinnati by hosting a food drive as the Reds host the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, July 22 and Saturday, July 23 at Great American Ball Park. Fans who donate a minimum of three non-perishable food items before the games on Friday and Saturday nights will receive a voucher for a ticket to a future 2022 Reds game, with a limit of one voucher per person. WLWT and 700WLW are media sponsors of this event.

Volunteers will be collecting food donations near the ballpark’s main entrance on Crosley Terrace, as well as along Joe Nuxhall Way near the Reds Hall of Fame & Museum. All donated food will be distributed through St. Vincent de Paul’s Becky & Ted Catino Choice Food Pantry in the West End and St. Vincent de Paul’s network of 11 neighborhood-based food pantries throughout Greater Cincinnati.

“This food drive is happening at an especially crucial time for our food pantry,” says Kristen Gallagher, Marketing & Communications Manager for St. Vincent de Paul – Cincinnati. “As more neighbors turn to St. Vincent de Paul for food assistance than ever before, we are running precariously low on many basic items.”

In June 2022, volunteers and staff at St. Vincent de Paul’s Becky & Ted Catino Choice Food Pantry served 1,542 households – over twice the number of households as the same month a year prior, making it the busiest month ever for St. Vincent de Paul’s regular food assistance programs.

The food items St. Vincent de Paul needs most right now include: rice, breakfast cereal, beans, dry mashed potatoes, and protein-dense food such as canned tuna or chicken, peanut butter and hearty soups.

“As local families grapple with the impacts of inflation, many are faced with difficult decisions — such as whether to buy groceries or pay for their prescription medications. We are tremendously grateful for our Strike Out Hunger partners and the support we receive through this drive each year, which helps to provide thousands of meals for neighbors in need,” Gallagher says.

Last summer, over 3,000 lbs. of food was donated to the Strike Out Hunger food drive, enough to provide 2,500 meals.

More information about Strike Out Hunger is available online at CincyHunger.com.

About St. Vincent de Paul – Cincinnati

For more than 150 years, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has compassionately cared for neighbors in need throughout Cincinnati and Hamilton County. More than 1,200 neighborhood-based volunteers provide personal, emergency assistance for needs such as food, clothing, rent and utilities, prescription medications and much more. The heart of our mission is to bridge the spiritual, emotional and material gaps in peoples’ lives and to serve with dignity and respect.

St. Vincent de Paul – Cincinnati is one of hundreds of St. Vincent de Paul District Councils serving throughout the United States. For more information about our mission, outreach and services, visit SVDPcincinnati.org.