Society of St. Vincent de Paul - Cincinnati

Sign-up RequiredCatholic CharitiesFood PantrySelf-SelectWalk-in
1125 William L. Mallory, Sr. Street, 1125 Bank St, Cincinnati, Ohio 45214

Who Can Visit?

The Becky & Ted Catino Choice Food Pantry at St. Vincent de Paul – Cincinnati serves neighbors living in specific zip codes: 45202, 45203, 45205, 45214, 45219, 45220, 45225, 45229, and 45232. If you live outside these zip codes, call the Help Line at 513-421-0602 to find out if you are eligible.

For seasonal food distributions (Thanksgiving and Christmas), any neighbor living in Hamilton County is eligible to participate — no sign-up is needed in advance.

Items Needed for Registration

For the regular food pantry, call ahead to check eligibility. For seasonal food distributions (Thanksgiving and Christmas meals), bring your photo ID. You will also need to complete a TEFAP form on-site to receive food at these events.

For the coat distribution (November through February), bring a valid ID for each person who needs a coat. This program is open to Hamilton County residents.

How Often You Can Visit?

Residents in the eligible zip codes can visit the food pantry once a month. For seasonal holiday distributions (Thanksgiving and Christmas), you can participate regardless of whether you have already received food from the Catino Choice Food Pantry that month.

Good to Know

When you arrive, friendly volunteers and staff will greet you. Visitors have shared that services are provided quickly and respectfully. While you wait, the pantry has offered hot coffee, cookies, and fresh apples. The building is described as a beautiful, clean, new campus with a parking lot. Bus lines 27 and 31 stop nearby.

If you have questions or need to find out what paperwork to bring, call or pick up a pamphlet — the staff and volunteers are always happy to explain what you need and when services are available.

Food & Essentials

The Catino Choice Food Pantry gives you the chance to pick healthy foods to cook at home, along with personal care and household cleaning products. Reviewers describe it as a full-meal pantry — items include milk, eggs, meat, and vegetables. The pantry also carries personal care items like body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and deodorant.

The pantry welcomes donations of perishable items and is especially in need of meat, produce, and dairy. Non-perishable staples most needed include canned fruit, canned meat, cereal and oatmeal, and hearty soups.

At holiday time, St. Vincent de Paul distributes special meal kits — the Thanksgiving kit includes a turkey and all the fixings, and the Christmas kit includes fresh produce, all the fixings, and a ham.

How to Pick Up

The Catino Choice Food Pantry is a client-choice pantry — you shop and pick out your own items, similar to a grocery store. Volunteers walk alongside you to help as you make your selections.

Additional Support

St. Vincent de Paul – Cincinnati offers a wide range of services beyond food:

  • Charitable Pharmacy: Free prescription medications for those who qualify. Call 513-345-4990 to schedule a certification appointment. Bring photo ID, proof of address, proof of income, a bill from the past 30 days, and your insurance card (if you have one).
  • Utility and rent assistance: Help is available once per year. Call 513-421-0602.
  • Eye exams and glasses: The Cincinnati Eye Institute Foundation Vision Clinic offers free eye exams on the first and third Thursday of each month. Call 513-569-3722 for an appointment. Vouchers for glasses are available for those who need them.
  • Clothing vouchers: Vouchers are available once every six months and can be used at any SVDP thrift store.
  • Furniture and bed vouchers: Available based on need; requests can be made in person or by phone.
  • Bus passes: Help getting bus cards for transportation.
  • Birth certificates (Ohio only): Limited to 2 per family per lifetime; available during business hours.
  • Diapers: Through the Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank, families can receive diapers once a month. Emergency diapers may also be available based on donations.
  • Insurance navigation: Help applying for Medicaid, Medicare, or Marketplace Insurance.
  • Job search resources: Computers and books for job searching, plus pamphlets for job assistance.
  • Reintegration Program: Assistance for people affected by the criminal justice system, including those recently released from jail. Call 513-562-8841 ext. 9 for more information.
  • Air conditioning units: Available for Hamilton County residents aged 65 or older, or those with a medical need, who have not received a unit from SVDP in the past four years. The online request form opens May 1 each year.
  • Teaching Kitchen: Every first Wednesday of the month, volunteers partner with La Soupe to prepare healthy recipes for neighbors using items from the Catino Choice Food Pantry.

Facilities

The Neyer Outreach Center has public restrooms that are kept tidy. There are also computers available on-site for job searching. The building is described as a beautiful, clean, new campus. SVDP also operates thrift stores throughout Cincinnati where voucher recipients can shop for clothing and household items.

Ways to Give

There are many ways to support St. Vincent de Paul – Cincinnati:

How to Join the Team?

Volunteers are essential to everything St. Vincent de Paul does. Anyone can volunteer — individuals, families, schools, and businesses are all welcome. You can serve directly with neighbors or work behind the scenes.

To sign up:

  1. Browse volunteer opportunities at svdpcincinnati.org/volunteer/volunteer-opportunities/
  2. Register at svdp.volunteermatrix.com
  3. For questions, contact the Volunteer Coordinator at 513-562-8841 ext. 211 or volunteers@svdpcincinnati.org

Food Pantry volunteers help stock shelves, sort donations, and accompany neighbors as they shop. Pantry volunteers must be over the age of 14.

Group opportunities are available for groups of 15 or fewer people, including food pantry shifts and Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank sorting.

For immersive volunteer experiences, the Ozanam Center for Service Learning offers day, weekend, or weeklong retreats. Contact ozanam@SVDPcincinnati.org or call 513-562-8841 ext. 231.

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