Panera Bread strives to support community programs that reflect our core values and serve as a vehicle for outreach and support. In the Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton metro areas, we are partnered with the Children’s Hunger Alliance and the Freestore Foodbank in giving back to our community.
Our Community Partners
CHILDRENS HUNGER ALLIANCE
Would you believe that 1 in 6 children in Ohio goes to bed hungry every
night? Children’s Hunger Alliance meets immediate nutrition needs by serving
nearly 10,000 children everyday across Ohio through programs we sponsor
and administer. Our direct service programs consist of the following:
Family Child Care/ Early Care Education
Youth Development
Public Education & Engagement
FREESTORE FOODBANK
The Freestore Foodbank is Ohio's third largest foodbank, and Greater Cincinnati's
largest provider of emergency food. The organization distributes food
to 150,000+ individuals annually, many on multiple occasions, through
500 non-profit member agencies in 20 counties of southern Ohio, northern
Kentucky, and southeastern Indiana.
Kids Cafe
Kids Cafe is one of the nation's largest
meal service programs offered by Freestore Foodbank. Kids Cafe strives
to prevent hunger among children in low-income neighborhoods by providing
free evening meals in a safe, caring environment.
The program's goal is to feed hungry children in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area and link community resources to this effort. This goal is achieved through the Kids Cafe program objectives:
• Provide nutritious meals to children in need.
• Supplement meals with other activities such as: nutrition
education, homework help, tutoring, life skill education,
anti-drug and anti-violence programs, music, games,
sports, arts and crafts..
• Locate sites within easy access to children in need.
• Conduct activities within safe facilities, under the supervision of trustworthy staff.
In Greater Cincinnati, the Freestore Foodbank works in partnership with six non-profit agencies to provide healthy meals to neighborhood children in: Over the Rhine, the West End, Millvale Housing Community, Camp Washington, Newport and Covington.
Children coming to Kid's Cafe get more than a nutritious meal. Each location is unique because the host sites structure their program to meet the needs of the children. Tutoring, arts and crafts, games and recreation and storytime are among the activities offered. Children learn to get along with one another, and interact with caring adult volunteers who serve as role models.
For more information on becoming involved with Children’s Hunger Alliance, please visit their website at
Children’s
Hunger Alliance.org. For more information on becoming involved with the Freestore Foodbank, please visit their website at
Freestorefoodbank.org
