Health and Hygiene

While Food Stamps provide assistance to help families purchase enough food, they do not provide for any non-food items such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste or over the counter medications, cold and flu remedies, or pain relievers.  This prevents many low income families, unemployed persons, and the elderly on fixed incomes do without these things that are essential for health and well being.  Living without these items can cause serious complications in their lives, interfering with their ability to function effectively on a daily basis and potentially leading to serious illness.  The use of these products can prevent unnecessary physician or emergency room visits, improve work productivity for adults, prevent lost school days for children, and reduce inappropriate use of prescription drugs.

The Freestore Foodbank, with the help of the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati and other donors, established the Health & Hygiene program to distribute products like those listed above to those in need. Each year, the program distributes product with an estimated retail value of nearly $6.5 million.