The following message was sent to clergy and vestry members via email on Friday, November 7, 2025.
Clergy and Vestry Leaders,
As I shared in my notice last Friday, our churches and their partners are acting in faith and urgency to do our best amid the gap of SNAP food assistance benefits imposed on our families and our neighbors.
On Wednesday, my staff and I gathered on Zoom with around forty leaders deeply engaged in hunger relief ministries throughout our diocese. They shared their anger and sadness, senses of disbelief and inevitability, and their never ceasing hope in the transformational power of the Holy Spirit. They also shared that they’re already seeing a marked increase in neighbors seeking their resources and assistance, especially ahead of the holiday season. They reminded us: hunger in our communities affects everyone at a systematic and spiritual level.
The group shared a number of resources that may be helpful in coordinating local response. Those resources are copied below this note for you to consider. Additionally, during Saturday’s lunch at our upcoming diocesan convention, a section of tables will be reserved for those interested in continued conversation and potential regional collaboration.
In last week’s note and last Wednesday’s call, I promised that the Diocese of Southern Ohio would provide emergency funding for food ministries experiencing the impact of the gap in SNAP funding.
The application form for Emergency Hunger Relief projects is now available. Congregations with active hunger relief ministries or partnerships are invited to apply for grants of up to $1,500 that will be immediately put to use in addressing the gap in SNAP food assistance benefits. These grants are not to fund ongoing operations or new initiatives unrelated to the current crisis.
Grants will be reviewed on a rolling basis by the Episcopal Community Ministries committee and disbursements will be made as soon as possible in light of the urgent burden that has been placed on our pantries, feeding programs, and other ministries addressing the impact of hunger. We expect the applications to remain open until the funds are depleted or until SNAP food assistance benefits are restored. With questions, please contact the Rev. Derrick Fetz, missioner for stewardship and liaison to ECM, at dfetz@diosohio.org.
Please join me in praying for our ministries and for the people we serve together:
O Spirit who brooded over the primal chaos, O Father who ordered all creation, O Christ through whom all things were formed from nothing: Grant us peace amidst this world’s relentless disorder. Still our minds and strengthen our hands. Keep despair far from our doors. Be our present help when we sigh at the sight of constant disarray. For all whose hearts long to make meaning from the mess; who labor to transmute tears and trauma into healing and hope; who turn their own sadness into hospitable places where others might weep and find comfort. Keep us ever abiding in you, O Christ, root, vine, rock, hope; that we might ever be agents of your peace in the midst of the many unsettled places in this tilted world. Amen. (Adapted from Every Moment Holy III: A Liturgy for Those Dismayed by Chaos.)
Yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Kristin Uffelman White
Bishop
Diocese of Southern Ohio
Crowdsourced Resources from Hunger Relief Zoom Call Participants
Freestore Foodbank
Multiple resources and lists are available on their website including upcoming food distribution events, Food Pantry lists, and more.
The Voice of Black Cincinnati – Food Pantries & Soup Kitchens
Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens are listed by areas of Cincinnati: South, West, Central, North, and East.
Our Community Resources
Hamilton County Food Pantries are listed on this website for Hamilton County and farther down are resources for Kentucky.
Food Access Points
An interactive map of hunger relief programs.
Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry
Regional contacts and butchers.
The Cancer Justice Network can provide free transportation in Cincinnati to any pantry or health care by calling 513.404.3882.
Find Food Resources – Columbus
The City of Columbus’ website with a list of resources for food access, including upcoming food giveaways.
Central Region Episcopal Response Form
The Rev. Christopher Richardson (St. Philip, Columbus) is building a comprehensive list of resources from Episcopal communities and partners for the Central (Columbus) Region.
Shared Harvest Food Bank
Serving Butler, Drake, Miami, Treble, and Warren counties.
