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What an incredible day! This year’s Empty Bowls event was our most successful yet, raising nearly $22,000 to support LIFE Food Pantry’s mission of feeding our neighbors and helping local families in need. We welcomed more than 350 guests for a day filled with delicious food, beautiful pottery, music, and community spirit.

This record-breaking event would not have been possible without the generosity and hard work of so many people. A heartfelt thank-you to Prince of Peace Church for helping host and organize the event, and to the 125 volunteers who worked before, during, and after to make everything run smoothly. We’re also grateful to the talented high school musicians who added a special touch to the day, the local potters who donated beautiful handmade bowls and pottery, and the restaurants, bakeries, and beverage sponsors who helped make the meal so special.

Thank you to the local businesses and community members who donated raffle basket items and centerpieces, our Empty Bowls event sponsors, and the sustaining corporate sponsors and congregations who support LIFE throughout the year.

Empty Bowls is a wonderful reminder of what can happen when a community comes together for a common purpose. Every bowl, meal, donation, and helping hand made a difference. Because of this incredible support, more funds will go directly toward LIFE’s mission of providing food and assistance to our neighbors in need.

Thank you for helping make this year’s Empty Bowls our best one yet!

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Pass It On Food Drive: 25 years of Loveland coming together to make sure our neighbors have food on their tables for Thanksgiving and the holidays.

In the months following the devastating events of 9/11, the uncertainty and sadness were felt throughout our community. Many students at Loveland Intermediate and Middle School were struggling with what was happening in the world around them and Pass It On was born as a way for to help those students cope. They decided to hold a food drive benefiting LIFE Food Pantry, built around a simple but powerful idea: we couldn’t change the whole world, but we could change our little corner of it.

The message was simple: Are you feeling fortunate in your life? If so, Pass It On.

Families donated food, and with the help of school administrators, something special took shape. On the designated day, students in grades 5–8 lined up along the sidewalk between the school campus and Prince of Peace Church, where LIFE Food Pantry was located. They passed the donated food hand-to-hand until every item made its way to the pantry.

That first Pass It On was such a success that it received a Cincinnati Enquirer Make a Difference Day award, along with $150, which was generously donated to LIFE.

Twenty-five years later, that simple idea has grown into a beloved Loveland tradition. What began with students and their families now includes Loveland schools, local businesses, congregations, organizations, and neighbors throughout our community.

And while so much has changed over the past 25 years, the heart of Pass It On remains the same: when we recognize how fortunate we are, we have the opportunity to share that good fortune with someone else.

Today, Pass It On is more than a food drive. It is a reminder of what makes Loveland special—a community that looks out for one another and comes together when our neighbors need a helping hand.

Are you feeling fortunate in your life? If so, Pass It On.

Donation Levels

$25 — $25 to celebrate 25 years
$50 — Provides turkeys for two families
$75 — Sponsor a box
$100 — Provides turkeys for four families

September is recognized across the country as Hunger Action Month, a time to raise awareness about food insecurity and inspire action to help end hunger.

At LIFE Food Pantry, that mission is close to home. Already this year, thousands of our Loveland neighbors have turned to LIFE for nourishing food and support. Hunger is real in our community, but together, we can make a difference.

Here are six ways you can take action this month:

• Volunteer your time. From shopping with clients to stocking shelves, there’s a place for everyone at LIFE. 
• Make a financial gift. Every dollar goes directly toward providing healthy food for local families in need. 
• Be an advocate. Share the importance of fighting hunger and encourage friends, coworkers, and neighbors to get involved.
• Buy a Simply Give gift card at Meijer. Every dollar goes directly toward providing healthy food for local families in need. 
• Sign up for Kroger Community Rewards. A simple way to support LIFE every time you shop; at no cost to you.
• Engage with us online. Like, share, and comment on our Facebook and Instagram posts to help us reach more people in the community.

This September, let’s come together and take action against hunger because no one in Loveland should have to go without food.

Enjoy warm soup, fresh bread, and delicious desserts from local restaurants — plus the chance to win fabulous gift baskets from area businesses. For just $25, you’ll enjoy a delicious meal and take home a handcrafted pottery bowl generously donated by local artists. Every dollar raised benefits LIFE Food Pantry, helping neighbors in need with food and financial assistance.

The first seating is already sold out! Buy now to save your spot at the second seating.

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

Add a little fall fun to your home with one of our beautiful, reusable centerpieces! These faux-pumpkin centerpieces will be available for purchase at the event for just $25! Best of all, you can take yours home at the conclusion of either seating. There’s no need to return later for pickup as in previous years.

Important: A quick reminder, cash and checks are preferred for additional raffle tickets, to-go soup, centerpieces, and pottery purchases. Credit cards will also be accepted, but card readers will be limited and may result in longer processing times.

The back-to-school season is an exciting time for students, but for families already working hard to cover the costs of food, rent and other essentials, the expense of getting ready for a new school year can be overwhelming.

That’s why our Student Life Shop is so important. Over the past few months, an incredible community effort has come together to prepare to support nearly 250 students living in Loveland.

Our back-to-school event is designed to give children an opportunity to make their own selections. Students get to choose a brand-new backpack that matched their personality and style. They also received school supplies selected specifically for their grade and school, along with additional essentials they can use throughout the school year.

Giving students the opportunity to choose their own backpack and supplies makes the experience about more than just meeting a need. It gives them a sense of choice, independence, and excitement as they prepare to walk into the new school year ready to learn.

An event like this takes months of preparation and we are especially grateful to Sharon, Betsey, Elizabeth, and Carolina, our event coordinators, who worked to make it all come together. They spent time securing donations, organizing supplies, packing backpacks, and making sure everything was ready for the children and families who attended.

We also want to thank the many volunteers and donors who helped make the event possible. From donating school supplies and personal care items to setting up stations, assisting families, and keeping everything moving on event day, so many people came together to help local students start the school year feeling prepared and confident.