Families can visit our Choice
pantry twice in thirty days
and receive food,
household supplies , limited
over-the-counter medications
all in an atmosphere intended
to promote shopping for
the things one needs .
Kitchen
Everyone is welcome to a
nutritious hot meal each
Wednesday from 12 noon to
3 pm
Allows individuals needing or
wishing
to do community service the
opportunity to volunteer those
hours at our site .
We work in partnership
with the court system and
Ohio Job and Family services
P. O. Box 26
Coolville, OH 45723
740-667-0684
www.friends-n-neighbors.org
Fact Sheet
Friends & Neighbors Community Food Center is a non-denominational, faith-based social services organization which seeks
to provide food and other necessities to those in need without regard to race, age, sex, religion, or social status, while
preserving human decency and encouraging self-reliance and empowerment. We serve especially the rural poor in “the
forgotten areas” of three Ohio counties (Athens-Meigs-Washington), but our belief is none should go without. All those in
need will qualify, and all will be served by the same standard. We are governed by God, supplied by the gracious hands of
our Lord Jesus Christ and the donations of all God’s people.
We are a 501 (c) (3) organization under the sponsorship of White Chapel Wesleyan Church of Coolville. We are in
partnership with more than a dozen organizations including the Second Harvest Food bank of Southeastern Ohio and the
Hocking-Athens-Perry Community Action Agency.
Because we seek to overcome the root causes of poverty, we offer a comprehensive series of programs to assist our clients,
including a soup kitchen, a choice pantry, clothing distribution, disaster relief, an on-site nurse, food & medicine delivery,
agricultural surplus distribution, small home repairs, peer and adult mentoring, children’s programs, volunteer
opportunities, and job training. Above all, we provide a comfort zone for clients, a safe place for people to come to deal
with their problems. We help clients deal with bureaucracy, we don’t create it.
We are client-run, client-based, and client-directed. Our Board of Directors has ten members, seven of whom are clients.
Our Executive Director qualifies as a client. All our staff volunteers except three are clients. Each week we ask those
present at our pantries for input on meals, jobs, health issues, personal problems, and pantry choices, and expose them to
opportunities to improve their lives.
We currently serve about 3,000 individuals each year who would otherwise be chronically under served. Our Soup Kitchen
(open to everyone) is held at the Lottridge Community Center (2754 Lottridge Road) each Wednesday from noon to 3:00
pm. Our Choice Pantry, Little Blessings, Healthy Connections, and other programs are in the old Carthage Township
Trustees Building, directly across from the Lottridge Community Center. Our Meigs County Pantry (Tuesday, 5:00 to 7:00
pm) and Migrant Outreach Center are in the Racine Municipal Building. Our office is in the old Sheriff’s Substation in
downtown Coolville.
In this, our fourth year of operation, our goals are to reach more clients in need and to offer them more and better programs
by strengthening our ties with other helping organizations throughout Athens County and Southeastern Ohio.
