The Holiday in Lights Beneficiaries

Reach Out Lakota

The mission of Reach Out Lakota is to give a helping hand up to those living in West Chester/Liberty Township by putting help and hope into the hands of our community. Reach Out Lakota is a food and clothing pantry that helps families who, for a variety of reasons, are dealing with hardship in meeting the basic needs of their families. Since its establishment in 1992, Reach Out Lakota has been fully supported by the local community. Reach Out Lakota provides healthy food options to families. We believe it is vital for families to have a good source of healthy food and protein, so we purchase many food items to meet the needs of our clients.

We provide non-perishable foods, fresh milk, meats and eggs during their visit to our food pantry. Each family receives an individualized order of food that meets their family size, dietary and cultural needs. To ensure that every family gets a large and healthy order of food, we purchase many items, so they are on hand each and every time our pantry is open. We provide families with a 10-14 day supply of food versus the typical 3-5 day supply of food at many pantries.

In addition to food, we provide clients the opportunity to shop and get free clothing items once a month. Clients have access to a large collection of slightly used clothing. Reach Out Lakota has Special Programs that include our Back to School Program where we provide families with all the school supplies they need for each child in their family. We also provide both a Thanksgiving Day food box and a Holiday food box in December with all the food needed for a large family meal. We serve over 250 families at Thanksgiving. We also provide over 800 children with food and gifts at our Holiday program.

Reach Out Lakota provides not only food and clothing, but hope and a smile to all who come through our doors. We treat everyone with respect and dignity and hope that their visit to the pantry not only provides basic needs but lifts their spirits.

To learn more about Reach Out Lakota, please go to their web-site at www.reachoutlakota.org.

Operation Give Back

Operation Give Back (OGB), located in Blue Ash, is a non-profit organization providing assistance to children and families in need who reside in the Blue Ash, Montgomery, Sharonville, Sycamore Township and Symmes communities. The mission of OGB is to strive for educational equity and provide community outreach to students and families in need, inspiring all to realize their full potential and GIVE BACK to society.

OGB, established in 2002, provides a Community Food Pantry, After School Tutoring/Mentoring, as well as two major “give back” programs.