Resources | Food: Hamilton County

RESOURCES, Uncategorized

When I first began this blog, I really wanted to teach others how I went from heroin addict & 5 time felon (whose record is now expunged 🙌🏼!) back to functioning human & how they can do the same.

Over time, as life happened & more babies were added to our family, I focused on other interests that were important to me at the time (and still are). I volunteered at City Gospel Mission once a month on a Friday to “humble myself so I wouldn’t forget where I came from and remind myself that I could be back there at any moment” (and because I genuinely enjoyed it) until the world shut down, but I will admit- I thought less and less about food banks since the beginning of my sobriety… until I began needing them again a couple years ago for the first time since getting sober. Well, I’m back here… And still sober. Didn’t see that one coming!

Over those last couple years, the food banks, not only in Cincinnati, but throughout America, have served more people than ever before. They are struggling to keep up with the amount of people who are currently facing food insecurity in America. Similar articles can be found showing that this has been going on continuously since 2020, and only getting worse daily.

When UNWLA Branch 144 first formed, I was tasked with this job to create a list for group of all of these places – in Ukrainian language – for the major influx of Ukrainian refugees, but with homeschooling, and homemaking/mini homesteading, and also going back to work part time for the first time in 6 years, I continued to push it down further and further on my list of priorities.

However, lately, more & more people have been asking me where they can go to get help with food, so I wanted to put together a super master list that I can share anytime someone needs help. A list that will involve every single place, by area, with a list of documents required all in one place (that will be translated into Ukrainian still as well 💙💛) because searching for these places can be extremely tedious and overwhelming.

I’ve been waiting to post this until it was perfectly finished, but with it being such a major need at this time, I decided the perfect time is now. I will continue to add to & work on this list as time allows.

Because of how large each county is, and how many places are available, especially in Hamilton Co., I am going to break it down by county to make it easier. So, in other words this is only the first list. I’ll link counties at the bottom of this page as I complete them. Other resources besides food will be listed in separate posts. Places with ♡ by the name will accept any Hamilton County resident.

I truly hope this helps ❤️

CENTRAL

Avondale, Bond Hill, Deer Park, Hartwell, Kennedy Heights, Kenwood, Oakley, Norwood, Pleasant Ridge, Roselawn, Silverton

♡ • Adventist Community Services  • ♡

Address: 725 Whittier Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229

Contact: 513-518-9213

Hours: Monday & Wednesday 11:30 am – 2 pm. Not open the first week of each month.

Website

• Caring Place •

Address: 6312 Kennedy Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45213

Serves: Kennedy Heights, Pleasant Ridge, Golf Manor, Silverton.

Contact: 513-841-1499

Hours: Tuesday & Thursday (9 am – 1 pm)

Documentation: ID & Current Utility Bill

• Church of the Ressurrection | Bond Hill Food Pantry •

Address: 1619 California Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45237

Contact: 513-242-0400

Hours: 1st 4 Wednesdays of the month 12 – 2 pm.

Website

♡ • Greater New Hope Missionary Church Food Pantry • ♡

Address: 3655 Harvey Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229

Serves: Anyone facing food insecurity

Contact: 513-281-3251

Hours: Third Saturday of the month (10 am – 12 pm)

• Love Star Food Pantry •

Address: 760 North Fred Shuttlesworth Circle, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229

Serves: 45229

Contact: 513-221-5049

Hours: Third Wednesday of the month (10 am – 12:30 pm)

• Madisonville Education & Assistance Center •

Contact: 513-271-5501

Hours: Tuesdays, 9:30 am – 11:45 am and 12:30 – 3 pm. Hours vary, please check website or call ahead.

Documentation: Photo ID, proof of residency

Website

• Nativity of Our Lord / Bond Hill Food Pantry •

Address: 5935 Pandora Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio 45213

Contact: 513-242-0400 to schedule appointment

Hours: Wednesdays from 12 – 2 pm (not open 5th Wednesday of the month).

• N.E.E.Ds Food Panty @ Kenwood Baptist Church •

Address: 8341 Kenwood Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236

Serves: 45236, 45241, 45242, 45243, 45249

Contact: 513-891-0850

Hours: Tuesday & Thursday (9 am – 1 pm)

Documentation: Proof of address, + proof of utility shut off or eviction notice (for financial assistance only). One visit per month.

• New Life Temple Church •

Address: 4836 Ward Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45227

Contact: 513-527-5943, extension 3.

Website

• Norwood Service League •

Address: 2071 Lawrence Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45212

Serves: Anyone who lives or works in the City of Norwood.

Contact: 513-924-1200

Hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9 – 10 am.

Documentation: Photo ID, proof of residency, proof of income.

• Oakley Community Food Pantry •

Address: 4100 Taylor Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45209

Serves: Anyone in 45209

Contact: 513-871-3136

Hours: Tuesdays 10 am – 1 pm

Documentation: Photo ID, proof of residence or rent receipt

♡ • Olivet Baptist Church Food Pantry • ♡

Address: 6939 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236

Serves: Anyone facing food insecurity

Contact: 513-549-7096

Hours: Third Wednesday of the month (2:30 – 4:30 pm)

• Operation Give Back •

Address: 10891 Millington Court, Blue Ash, Ohio 45242

Serves: Blue Ash, Montgomery, Sharonville, Sycamore Township, and Symmes communities.

Contact: 513-489-2023

Hours: Wednesday 9 am – 12 pm, *by appointment only. Must call by Tuesday afternoon to reserve appointment.*

Website

• Valley Interfaith Church •

Address: 420 Wyoming Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45215

Serves: 45215, 45216, 45217, 45224, 45231, 45232, 45235, 45241, 45242, 45262

Contact: 513-821-3233

Hours: Monday (10 am – 12 pm), Wednesday (4 – 6 pm), Friday (10 am – 12 pm)

Documentation: ID & Proof of address (dated within 60 days)

• Woven Oak Initiative •

Address: 2301 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, Ohio

Serves: 45212

Contact: 513-580-4824

Hours: 1st Tuesday of month 10 – 11:30 am. 2nd Tuesday of month 5 – 6 pm. 3rd Tuesday of month 10 – 11:30 am.

Website

NORTH

Colerain, Mt. Healthy, Springdale

• Bountiful Blessings Food Pantry •

6110 Highland Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45216

Contact: 513-276-0111

Hours: Friday (walk up), 11 am – 2:30 pm, Saturday (drive thru), 10 am – 12 pm.

• Corpus Christi Church Food Pantry •

Address: 2014 Springdale Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45231

Serves: 45231

Contact: 513-825-0618

Hours: Monday – Thursday (10 – 11:30 am), Tuesday (6 – 7:30 pm)

• Christ’s Community in College Hill •

Address: 5742 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45224

Contact: 513-541-0303

Hours: Monday – Thursday, 10 am – 12 pm

Website

• Fairfield Food Pantry •

Address: 78 Donald Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45014

Serves: 45014, 45015, 45011, 45013

Contact: 513-829-9047

Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 12-3 pm

Documentation: Photo ID, proof of residency

Website

• Gray Road Church of Christ •

Address: 4826 Gray Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45232

Contact: 513-541-4100

Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Friday 10 am – 1 om

Documentation: Photo ID

♡ • Healing Center • ♡

Address: 11345 Century Circle Way, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246

Serves: Anyone facing food insecurity

Contact: 513-346-4080

Hours: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Saturday, 9 – 11 am. Thursday, 6:30 – 8 pm.

Documentation: piece of mail with address postmarked within 60 days.

Website

• House of Praise •

Address: 8780 Colerain Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45251

Contact: 513-521-0946

Hours: Wednesday 5-7 pm, Saturday 10 am – 1 pm

• Lincoln Heights Baptist Church •

Address: 9913 Wayne Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45215

Serves: 45215, 45216, 45240, 45246, 45249

Contact: 513-744-6261

Hours: Monday – Friday (1 – 3 pm)

Documentation: ID required

• Little Flower Church •

Address: 5560 Kirby Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45239

Serves: Those in Little Flower Parish Boundaries

Contact: 513-541-5560

Hours: Tuesdays 1:30-2:30 pm & 6:30-7:30 pm

Documentation: Photo ID, proof of address, social security card for all minors

Website

• Mother of Christ Church •

Address: 5301 Winneste Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45232

Contact: 513-242-0164

Hours: Every Saturday except the 3rd Saturday 10 am – 12 pm

Website

• Mt. Healthy Alliance Choice Food Pantry •

Address: 7717 Harrison Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45231

Serves: 45231

Contact: 513-551-8036

Hours: Monday (11 am – 1 pm), Tuesday (5 – 7 pm), Thursday & Saturday (9 am – 12 pm)

Documentation:

• SON Ministries-Groesbeck UM Church Food Pantry •

Address: 8871 Colerain Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45251

Serves: 45224, 45231, 45239, 45247, 45251

Contact: 513-385-1750

Hours: Monday (10 am – 12 pm), Wednesday (10 am – 12 pm & 4:30 – 6:30 pm)

• Tri-County Soul Pantry

Address: 11177 Springfield Pike, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246

Serves: Greenhills, Springdale, Forest Park

Contact: 513-772-2277

Hours: Monday – Wednesday (9:30 – 11 am & 6 – 7:30 pm), Friday (9:30 – 11 am), Last Saturday of the month (9:30 – 11 am)

Documentation: ID & 2 current bills

Website

• West College Hill Neighborhood Services •

Address: 2062 West Bend Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45224

Serves: West College Hill, College Hill, North College Hill.

Contact: 513-542-7379

Hours: 1st & 3rd week of each month, Monday & Friday 10 am – 12 pm. Thursdays 6 – 8 pm.

SOUTH

Clifton, Correyville, Evanston, Mt. Adams, Mt. Auburn, Over The Rhine, Pendleton, Walnut Hills, West End.

• Bea Taylor Market •

Address: 3401 Rosenthal Way, Cincinnati, Ohio 45204

Contact: 513-241- 1064

Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 11 am – 7 pm. Friday: 11 am – 5 pm. Saturday: 10 am – 3 pm.

Documentation: Photo ID, proof of residency

Website: https://freestorefoodbank.org/bea-taylor-market/

• Bellarmine Chapel SVDP •

Address: 3801 St. Francis Xavier Way, Cincinnati, Ohio 45207

Serves: Avondale & Evanston

Contact: 513-745-1950, call for assistance

Hours: Saturday, 9 am – 12 pm.

• Bethlehem Baptist: Love Star Pantry •

Address: 760 North Fred Shuttlesworth Circle, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229

Serves: 45229

Contact: 513-221-5049

Hours: 3rd Wednesday of the month, 10 am – 12:30 pm.

Documentation: Photo ID

• Church of Advent Open Door Ministry •

Address: 2366 Kemper Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45206

Serves: 45206, 45207, 45219, 45212, 45229

Contact: 513-961-2100

Hours: Monday – Friday (9:30 – 11:30 am)

Documentation: ID & Proof of residence

♡ • City Gospel Mission • ♡

Hot dinner served daily 7 pm. Anyone facing food insecurity is welcome. No documentation required.

Address: 1805 Dalton Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45214

Contact: 513-241-5525

Website

• Community Market •

Address: 2104 Saint Michael Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45204. Main Building, 1st floor.

Serves: 45204

Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 10 am – 2 pm

Contact: 513-244-2214

Website

• Corinthian Baptist Church •

Address: 1920 Tennessee Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45237

Contact: 513-221-7351

Hours: Every 4th Thursday, 3 – 5 pm.

• Faith Food Pantry •

Address: 2000 Central Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45214

Serves: Over the Rhine

Contact: 513-651-4673

Hours: Saturday 9 am – 12 pm

Website

• For His Glory Pantry •

Address: 931 McPherson Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45205

Serves: 45204, 45205, 45238

Hours: Thursday 11 am – 12:30 pm

Documentation: Photo ID, proof of residency

Website

♡ • FreeStore FoodBank • ♡

Address: 112 E. Liberty Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Serves: Anyone facing food insecurity

Contact: 513-241-1064

Hours: Monday – Friday (8:30 am – 3:30 pm)

Documentation: ID

• Greater New Hope Missionary Baptist Church •

Address: 3655 Harvey Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229

Contact: 513-281- 3251

Hours: Every third Saturday 10 am – 12 pm

Documentation: Photo ID

• Holy Family Church SVDP Pantry •

Address: 3006 West Eighth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio

Serves: 45204, 45205, 45214, 45248

Contact: 513-921-7527 ext 109, Dale Hartlage

Hours: Monday & Friday 11 am – 1 pm

Documentation: Photo ID, proof of residency

Clients may shop every two weeks.

Website

• Immanuel United Church of Christ •

Address: 1520 Queen City Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45214

Contact: 513-921-1167

Hours: Wednesday, 10 am – 12 pm

Documentation: Photo ID, proof of residency, proof of income

• Jewish Family Services | Heldman Family Food Pantry •

Address: 3113 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45220 (Campus of Hebrew Union College.)

Serves: all of Cincinnati Jewish Community, Clifton.

Contact: 513-469-1188 to make an appointment

Hours: By appointment only.

Kosher Foods are available. Home grocery delivery is available for individuals who cannot drive.

Website

• Mercy Neighborhood Ministries •

Address: 1602 Madison Road #200, Cincinnati, Ohio 45206

Serves: 45206, 45207, 45212, Ages 60+

Contact: 513-751-2500

Hours: Monday – Wednesday (9 – 11:30 am)

Documentation: ID & Proof of residence

• Mother of Christ Church •

Address: 5301 Winneste Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45232

Contact: 513-242-0164

Hours: Saturday 10 – 11:30 am

Documentation: Photo ID, proof of residency

♡ • Our Daily Bread • ♡

Address: 1730 Race Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Serves: Anyone facing food insecurity

Contact: 513-621-6364

Hours: Monday – Friday (8:30 – 11:45 am)

♡ • Queen City Food Kitchen & Choice Food Pantry • ♡

Address: 2631 Gilbert Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45206

Serves: Anyone facing food insecurity

Contact: 513-961-1983

Pantry Hours: Tuesday & Thursday (10 am)

Kitchen Hours: Tuesday – Thursday (12:30 – 1 pm), Saturday (12 – 1 pm & 4 – 5 pm), Sunday (2 – 3 pm)

♡ • St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Choice Food Pantry • ♡

Address: 1809 Rutland Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45207

Serves: Anyone facing food insecurity

Contact: 513-531-4337

Hours: Monday & Tuesday (1 – 2 pm)

♡ • St. Francis Seraph Ministries • ♡

Address: 1615 Republic Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Serves: Anyone facing food insecurity

Contact: 513-549-0542

Bagged Lunch Hours:  (8 – 10:30 am)

Dining Room Hours: Monday – Friday (Breakfast: 7 – 9 am, Dinner: 4 – 6 pm)

• St. George Interfaith Food Pantry •

Address: 5224 Dennis Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219

Serves: 45217, 45219, 45220, Any Veteran

Contact: 513-751-8771

Hours: Monday & Tuesday (6 – 7:30 pm), Last Friday of the month (12 – 1:30 pm), Last Saturday of the month (10  – 11:30 am), BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

Documentation: Photo ID, proof of residency

Website

• St. Joseph Catholic Church •

Address: 745 Ezzard Charles Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45203

Contact: 513-381-4526

Hours: Second Tuesday of the month 9 am – 1:30 pm

• St. Leo Church •

Address: 2573 Saint Leo Place 45225

Serves: North Fairmont including English Woods, Roll Hill Apartments, and Millville.

Contact: 513-921-1044

Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 1-3:30 pm

Website

♡ • St. Vincent de Paul Society • ♡

Address: 1146 Bank Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45214

Contact: 513-421-0602

Hours: Monday – Friday 8 am – 4 pm

Call ahead to place your Pick up order.

Website

♡ • Salvation Army Choice Food Pantry of Cincinnati• ♡

Address: 114 East Central Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Serves: Anyone facing food insecurity

Contact: 513-762-5600

Hours: Monday – Friday (1 – 3 pm), ONE VISIT PER WEEK.

• Seven Hills Neighborhood Houses •

Address: 901 Findlay Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45214

Serves: West End Community

Contact: 513-407-5362

Hours: Monday – Friday 9 am – 1 pm.

Daily Hot Meals also served in Community kitchen.

Website

♡ • Ted & Becky Catino Choice Food Pantry • ♡

Address: 1125 Bank Street, Cincinnati Ohio 45214

Serves: Hamilton County Residents

Contact: 513-421-0602

Hours: Monday – Friday (8 am – 4 pm), Saturday (8 am – 12 pm), BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

♡ • Union Baptist Church Food Pantry • ♡

Address: 405 West 7th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45203

Contact: 513-381-3858

Hours: 3rd Friday of each month 10 am

Website

• Walnut Hills Food Pantry •

Address: 2386 Kemper Lane, Cincinnati, Ohio 45206

Contact: 513-961-1983

Pantry Hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 12-1:30 pm

Kitchen Hot Meal Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 12-2 pm, Saturday Brunch 12-1 pm, Dinner 4-5 pm, Sunday Dinner 2-3 pm.

Website

♡ • Washington United Church of Christ • ♡

Address: 2950 Sidney Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45225

Contact: 513-312-7408

Pantry Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 12-2:45 pm

Hot Meal Hours: Monday – Thursday 12-12:30 pm, closed 3rd Thursday of month

Website

• West End Emergency Center •

Address: 727 Ezzard Charles Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio

Serves: 45203 & 45214

Contact: 513-381-5882

Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 10 am – 2 pm

Documentation: Photo ID, proof of residency

• York Street United Methodist Church •

Address: 816 York Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45214

Serves: 45214

Contact: 513-721-8095

Hours: Wednesday 10 am – 12 pm

WEST

Cheviot, College Hill, Fairmount, MillVale, Mt. Airy, Northside, Price Hill, Western Hills, Westwood, Winton Hills.

• Addyston United Methodist Church Pantry •

Address: 218 Main Street, Addyston, Ohio 45001

Serves: Hamilton, Cleves

Contact: 513-941-6034

Hours: Monday & Thursday 1-3 pm

Documentation: proof of residency

• Anderson Ferry Church of Christ •

Address: 308 Greenwell Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45238

Contact: 513-832-4200

Hours: Monday & Thursday 10 am – 12 pm

Documentation: State ID, birth certificate or custody agreement for all children under 18, proof of residence.

Website

• C.A.I.N. (Churches Active in Northside •

Address: 4230 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45223

Serves: 45223

Contact: 513-591-2246

Hours: Monday (5 – 7 pm), Tuesday & Thursday (10 am – 1 pm)

Hot meals available Monday from 5 – 6 pm.

Documentation: ID required

• Central Church of Christ •

Address: 3501 Cheviot Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211

Contact: 513-481-5820

Hours: Monday – Friday 9 am – 3 pm

Free meal every Wednesday at 5:30 pm, anyone is welcome.

Website

• Childhood Food Solutions Food Pantry •

Address: 2574 Saint Leo Place, Cincinnati, Ohio 45225

Serves: 45225

Contact: 513-399-6059

Hours: Monday – Friday (9 am – 3 pm)

• Edward J. Eiding Food Pantry at Eden Chapel •

Address: 150 Dahlia Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45233

Serves: Delhi, Saylor Park

Contact: 513-941-4183

Hours: 2nd Wednesday of month 12-4 pm. 4th Wednesday of month 2-6 pm.

Documentation: Photo ID or other form of identification (passport).

Website

• Gray Road Church of Christ •

Address: 4826 Gray Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45232

Contact: 513-541-4100

Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Friday 10 am – 1 pm.

Documentation: Photo ID

• Harrison Avenue Assembly of God •

Address: 949 Harrison Avenue, Harrison, Ohio 45030

Contact: 513-367-6109

Hours: Tuesday – Friday 9 am – 2:30 pm

Documentation: Photo ID

♡ • Harrison Avenue Church on Fire • ♡

Address: 10544 Harrison Avenue, Harrison, Ohio 45030

Contact: 513-367-6109, or text “food” to 513-268-0756

Hours: Wednesday 6-8 pm

NO DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED.

♡ • Helping Hands Pantry • ♡

Address: 9746 Dry Fork Road, Harrison, Ohio 45030

Serves: anyone facing food insecurity

Contact: 513-788-1172,  appointment preferred but walk-ins welcome.

Hours: Monday & Friday 1 – 3 pm

Hot Meal offered every 5th Saturday 11 am – 1 pm. Meal delivery available for those without transportation.

Website

• Manna Outreach INC. Pantry •

Address: 931 McPherson Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45205

Contact: 513-924-5344

Hours: Wednesday (11 am – 1 pm), Every 3rd & 4th Saturday (11 am – 1 pm).

• Mt. Healthy Alliance Food Pantry •

Address: 7717 Harrison Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45231

Serves: Mt. Healthy

Contact: 513-551-8036

Hours: Monday 11 am – 1 pm, Tuesday 5 pm – 7 pm, Thursday & Saturday 9 am – 12 pm

Documentation: Photo ID, proof of residency

Website

• Mt. Hope Baptist Church •

Address: 9200 Stimple Road, Harrison, Ohio 45030

Serves: Harrison & Cleves

Contact: 513-367-0450

Pantry Hours: Last Thursday & Friday of the month 1-3 pm

Fresh Produce Giveaway: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 12 – 2 pm.

♡ • Oak Hills United Methodist Church • ♡

Address: 6069 Bridgetown Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45248

Contact: 513-574-1131

Hours: Wednesdays 6:30 – 8 pm, 1st & 3rd Saturday 9 – 11 am

Documentation: No Documentation required, but will need to fill out a form upon arrival

Website

• St. Boniface Pantry SVDP •

Address: 1750 Chase Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45223

Serves: families within Parish boundaries

Contact: 513-541-1563

Hours: Saturday 1-3 pm

Documentation: Proof of residence, identification for each family member

Website

• St. John the Baptist SVDP •

Address: 520 Park Avenue, Harrison, Ohio 45030

Contact: 513-300-4962 for home delivery

Hours: 2nd Saturday 10 – 11 am, 4th Saturday 11 am – 1 pm

• St. Michaels Center •

Address: 2104 Saint Michael Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45204

Serves: 45204

Contact: 513-244-2214

Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 10 am – 2 pm

NO DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED.

• St. Therese Little Flower Food Pantry •

Address: 5560 Kirby Lane, Cincinnati, Ohio 45239

Serves: 45239

Contact: 513-541-5560

Pantry Hours: Tuesday (1:30 – 2:30 pm)

Hot meals available Tuesday from 6:30 – 7:30 pm

• St. William •

Address: 4108 West Eighth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45205

Contact: 513-921-0247

Hours: Wednesday 6 – 7 pm.

Documentation: proof of residence

• SON Ministries •

Address: 8871 Colerain Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45251

Serves: Northwest Local School District & North College Hill school district.

Contact: 513-385-1793

Hours: Monday & Wednesday 10 am – 12 pm, Wednesday 4:30 – 6:30 pm

Documentation: Photo ID, bill with current address postmarked within 30 days.

♡ • Table of Hope • ♡

Address: 3707 Edgewood Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211

Contact: 513-661-2428

Hours: Sunday 12:30 – 1:30 pm.

Documentation: Name, Address, Number in household.

Provides crockpot meal kits. Sign up for the wait list HERE.

Website

♡ • Tikkun Farms Free Market • ♡

Address: 7945 Elizabeth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45231

You must first go across the street to Hilltop Shopping Plaza at 8200 Hamilton Avenue to get your shopping number. There will be a Tikkun Farm Flag placed by the second light post. Park in line of spaces by the flag and a volunteer will come to your car to assist you.

Contact: 513-570-6860

Hours: Tuesday 3 – 4 pm, Friday 1 – 4 pm, Saturdays 1 – 2 pm.

Crockpot meal kits also available.

• Washington United Church of Christ •

Address: 2950 Sidney Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45225

Serves: Anyone facing food insecurity

Contact: 513-312-7408

Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays (12 – 2:45 pm), closed every 3rd Thursday of the month.

Free lunch provided Monday – Thursday from 12 – 12:30 pm.

• Westfed Food Pantry •

Address: 3628 Boudinot Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211

Serves: 45211, 45238

Contact: 513-661-5166

Hours: Last two Thursdays of the month (1: 30 – 2:30 pm), One visit per month.

• Westside Vineyard Church •

Address: 3420 Glenmore Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211

Serves: 45211, 45248, 45225

Contact: 513-922-7897

Hours: Monday 6 – 7 pm, Thursday 2 – 4 pm

Community Meal Hours (Dine in & Take out available) : Monday 6 – 7 pm

Website

• Westwood United Methodist Church •

Address: 3150 Harrison Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45211

Serves: 45211

Contact: 513-661-3139

Hours: Wednesday 10 am – 12 pm

Documentation: Proof of residency

EAST

Anderson, East End, Newtown

• Guardian Angel’s SVDP •

Address: 6531 Beechmont Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45230

Contact: 513-624-3147

Hours: Saturday morning, by appointment only

• Inter Parish Ministry Choice Pantry •

Address: 3509 Debolt Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244

Serves: 45228, 45230, 45244, 45245, 45140

Contact: 513-561-3932

Hours: Monday – Wednesday (10 am – 2 pm), 1 visit per month.

Hot meals provided Monday from 5:30 – 7 pm.

• L.I.F.E. (Loveland Interfaith Effort) •

Address: 677 Loveland-Madeira Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45140

Serves: Loveland Community, 45140

Contact: 513-583-8222

Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10 am – 12 pm, 4 – 6:30 pm. Friday & Saturday 10 am – 12 pm.

Documentation: Photo ID, Children: birth certificate, crib card, school record, medical or insurance card, a bill in your name with current Loveland address postmarked within 30 days. If you live in government subsidized housing, you must also supply a copy of your current lease.

Website

• Our Lord Christ the King SVDP •

Address: 3710 Eastern Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226

Serves: 45226, 45230, 45244, 45255, 45202

Contact: 513-871-8611 or Jim Patton, jimpatton49@gmail.com

Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 3:30 – 6:30 pm

• SEM Choice Food Pantry •

Address: 2020 Beechmont Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio 45230

Serves: Eastern Hamilton Co.

Contact: 513-231-1412

Hours: Monday – Friday (10 am – 2 pm), Tuesday (5:30 – 7 pm), Saturday (10 am – 12 pm)

♡ Mobile Pantries ♡

• Community Action Agency •

Please check website for current schedule and locations.

Contact: 513-569-1850 or Sharon Watkins at swatkins@cincy-caa.org

Website

• Healthy Harvest Mobile Food Pantry •

Please check website for current schedule, or text HMHH to 833-709-0969 to receive free updates by phone.

Website

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

How to Apply For a Food Card in Hamilton County, Ohio + Produce Perks

RESOURCES, Uncategorized

September is National Hunger Action Month!

In case you don’t know how to apply for Food Assistance, I wanted to explain step by step how to do it (for people living in Hamilton County, Ohio.)

How to Apply

STEP ONE: PRINT an application for Job & Family Services. I provided the downloads for you at the bottom of this post for easy access. Just download & print! You are able to print this application for free at your local library if you do not have access to a printer.

They do offer an online option, but from experience I have had the most success doing it exactly the way I am sharing – the good old-fashioned pen & paper method.

STEP TWO: Fill out application to the best of your ability.

***If you need help to fill out an application, please contact the Hamilton County Community Action Center or The Healing Center. Your local library is also able to help fill out your JFS application. All of these places provide assistance for free.***

STEP THREE: Gather all necessary documents. For *FOOD ONLY* you will need the following:

  • Identification: -State ID, -Drivers License, -Military ID, -Passport, -birth certificate, -social security card, -Visa documents for Refugees for each member of the family unit. (Provide as much as you can, Children will have less documents.)
  • Employment Verification for all members working members of the family unit: -Your last 4 paystubs OR Employment Verification Form (there is a seperate form for Self-Employment Verification), -unemployment benefits, -Veteran benefits, -Social Security Benefits, -Child Support (either what you pay OR what you receive based on your individual case),  any other consistant or large earnings you receive such as gambling. Again, provide what you can. You won’t have all of these documents.
  • Household Verification: -Deed, -Mortgage statement, -Rent receipt, -Lease agreement, -Letter from landlord, -Letter from person you are residing with, -Can also state Homelessness. -Current Energy bill, -Homeowners Insurance, -Renters Insurance, -Phone bill.
  • Resources: -Current bank statements (can prove you are in an emergency situation and bump your case to top priority), -Car title, -life insurance policy.

*** If you are also applying for childcare, you will need to provide your work or school schedule to show the amount of childcare needed. Daycare Vouchers cover the full or partial cost of daycare or after-school care, depending on your individual situation. You will need to find your own provider that accepts daycare Vouchers.***

Photo Provided by Hamilton County Job & Family Services Website

STEP FOUR: Take application and documents to your local library and fill out the Job & Family Services Fax Cover Letter (it is usually out where all of the upcoming events is, but if it is not just ask your librarian for help. The cover letter is meant to track the amount of papers you are submitting. Once the cover letter is filled out, ask your librarian to please help fax the papers to the Job & Family Services Offices. They will give you a short confirmation receipt that they were received. Hold onto this letter – documents have been known to “go missing.” This receipt will act as proof that you did in fact submit such documents at what day & time.

Next Steps

After you fax your documents, you will receive a text confirmation from JFS stating that your documents were received. It will look like this:

Shortly after you receive this text, you will receive a letter by mail stating that a telephone interview has been scheduled. It will provide a day, time, and phone number to call for your interview. It is very important that you do not miss this time!!!

Call on the day & time the letter provides and answer the questions that the social worker asks.

Important Information + Produce Perks

Expect VERY long wait times on hold, sometimes up to two hours. They can provide a translator and will ask if one is needed at the beginning of the interview. If you are using your own translator, please plan accordingly around the long wait times.

If this is your first time applying, a card will be sent to you in the mail with your benefits loaded on it. You will need to call to activate the new card and set up your PIN.

You will need to re-apply every 6 months. JFS will send you a letter in the mail letting you know that it is time along with a re-determination application.

You’ll be able to use your card at any grocery store, or any gas station that accepts SNAP. There will be a small sign or sticker on the door letting your know that SNAP is accepted.

At Findlay Market (and certain other local farmers markets), you can use your SNAP card as Produce Perks to get $1 for $1 on fresh fruits & vegetables up to $25 of free fruits & vegetables per day. For example, if you spend $15 on produce, you’ll be given an extra $15 to spend on more produce.

It is an incentive for families to use their benefits on healthy food choices.

You can also see if you qualify to sign up for their Fruit & Vegetable coupon booklet to use towards more fruits & vegetables than the alloted $25 per day, or when your food card runs out. Each booklet is worth $140, each coupon being worth $5. You would use these coupons the same way you would cash.

I truly hope this helps ♡

Applications to Download

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

Grace Girls | Building & Cooking Over Fire

homeschool, Motherhood, Uncategorized

This week we had our second Grace Girls meeting of the new school year. Our last meeting was learning how to properly set a table.

We started our night out with the devotion reading and a light discussion about what we read in our Bright Lights curriculum.

The meeting was hosted again by Ms. Darla and she taught the girls a lot about Fire Safety.

We learned what to wear and not wear around a fire. You want to wear jeans and short sleeves preferably. No flowy tops, dresses, or skirts. Hair must be secured back safely away from your face or cut short so it doesn’t catch on fire.

The most important question to always ask before building a fire is if it is legal to for a fire to be built there. Certain states have different regulations & seasons when fires are permitted, while other states ban fires all together due to high risk of forest fires.

When choosing a location to build your fire you want to look for:

  • No overhanging branches
  • Nothing flammable within 10 feet
  • The amount of wind the location gets
  • Is a pit provided? If not, dig one before building a fire to keep it safely secured in one location. It is best to line your pit with rocks.

Next Ms. Darla explained that we only burn wood for fuel. However for tinder & kindling you can use small branches or twigs, pinecone, evergreen branches and needles, pet fur, dryer lint, sawdust, or paper.

The girls worked together to group the wood in piles of large & small, and tinder/kindling in a bucket. She had bags of pinecone she had already collected over time.

Ms. Darla taught the girls different ways to build a fire, and what each kind is called. I had absolutely no idea there were so many different ways to make a fire. I thought it was just one way: build it 😂. The visual designs were really neat & helpful.

The girls then got into groups to pick a type of fire to build. Each group did a really good job!

We then went back around the fire to learn a bit more fire safety before we could get started.

We learned that you NEVER leave a fire unattended, and that you NEVER build a fire without adult permission & supervision.

If you do need to leave your fire for any reason: put it out first using water, covering with dirt or sand, or by spreading it out to reduce the heat.

Next, it was time to build the fire. Sasha really enjoyed this part. She was so adorable carrying the biggest log she could hold over for fuel.

The girls did a really good job building the fire. They even decorated it with pinecone and evergreen, draping kindling along the top and sides to make it pretty. It definitely was the prettiest fire I’ve ever seen!

Ms. Darla taught the girls about different tools needed to start a fire. She taught them about using fire starters and how they are important tools to pack when camping. She also taught things we could use if we don’t have Firestarter handy. She taught about the different size lighters and what each is good for. She also taught that when handling fire, we always use leather gloves to protect our hands.

For liability reasons, Ms. Darla lit the fire for the girls. They did such a great job building it! It burned really, really well and evenly. It was so beautiful and cozy – a perfect way to welcome in the start of cold nights here in Ohio.

The girls hung out for awhile, running around playing Ghost in the Graveyard together – another fun & spooky way to welcome in the season changing to Fall. They swung in the tree-swing and caught up with friends, while Mom’s got a chance to catch up with each other too.

Once the embers were hot enough, Ms. Darla began getting the fire ready for cooking while the girls went to the table under the light to start making their campfire Pizzas.

Once they were finished assembling their campfire Pizzas, Ms. Darla put them carefully on her makeshift oven set up.

She used fire grates, with racks on top of those. She then placed a baking sheet on top of the racks, and used a disposable baking pan lid as a cover to trap heat. Once the lid was on, she placed a smaller secondary disposable lid on top and filled it with hot embers to add heat coming from under, around, and above.

Once the Pizzas were finished cooking, she carefully removed them from heat and transferred to each girls paper plate. Ella said it was the best pizza she’d ever had, and that’s a big compliment coming from someone who doesn’t typically enjoy pizza.

This was such an awesome experience for the girls! I really wish I had a group like this when I was little – it really would have set me up for homemaking success later in life and taught me really necessary skills for living as an adult. I’m grateful to have it now with my own girls though – it’s even better together than it would have been on my own as a child. I’m grateful for the strong mother & daughter relationship foundation we are building. I really appreciate these classes and feel like I learn so much with them! The girls are always very excited to go.

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

Homeschool Field Trip | Krohn Conservatory

homeschool, Motherhood, Uncategorized

We have been studying Botany this spring, so we took a field trip today to Krohn Conservatory to see all of the really neat plants & the Butterflies in Space exhibit. 🦋

The Butterflies really liked Ella & kept landing all over her. She thinks they were attracted to the other butterflies on her dress. 🦋

Mia did a good job with getting butterflies to land on her card. She had to give most of her butterflies 🦋 to Athena, though.

Sasha was the first to “catch” a butterfly 🦋  & she was very proud of that. I am pretty sure that she also caught the most butterflies out of all of us.

Athena had a bit of difficult time catching the Butterflies, but she was quick to take all of the ones her bigger sisters caught. 🦋

Moses loved chasing the Butterflies as they flew around the greenhouse. He had to keep being reminded not to touch the Butterflies, and to leave them alone while they were on their fruit feeding trays. 🦋 He still had a great time, nonetheless.

Mia wanted to take a photo of me with my butterfly too 🦋.

From now on, I am going to place orange slices that my kids don’t finish into my garden for Butterflies to feed on. I’ll have to come up with some sort of feeding station for them, but I have a few ideas in mind!

I loved the way this butterfly spread its beautiful wings out on this flower. I can only hope that one day our butterfly garden brings us this many different Butterflies to visit us!!

After the butterfly exhibit, the kids colored space themed pictures, made butterfly wand crafts, & took a photo in the “photo booth” in the Krohn Discovery Space.

We went on the Butterfly Scavenger Hunt. The Butterflies were hidden around the Botanical Gardens and we had to find them. We loved walking around and taking photos in the Picture This app of different plants we loved and wanted to add to our gardens while looking for the hidden butterflies.

It was a really great way to get the kids involved in looking at plants and making something kids would usually find “boring” to look at into something really fun & exciting for them.

My father in law got these really great shots of the girls running through the waterfall. It loops around to a cave behind it which was lit up with lights & more space decor. It was the kids favorite spot at the conservatory.

I especially love the photo of Mia. She looks like a beautiful fairy in it.

He also got this great shot of what looks like a mama butterfly with her baby butterfly under her 🦋. I thought that was really cute!! I love how similar the spots are on both butterflies. Moses is currently really into grouping things by mama & baby, so it was a cute little sign from the universe & natural world for us to get to see.

Even though we’ve been there before, we had a really great field trip today! The kids were all really well behaved & engaged. It was short enough where the kids never got to the point of being overdone, but wasn’t short enough that we felt that we wasted our time or money.

I loved that they pointed out things that we have been learning in our botany unit study!! That gives me so much reassurance that they are truly learning & taking in so much information and most importantly, actually applying it in real life! That makes me feel like a successful homeschool mama and I’ll take any win I can right now!!!

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

Botany 🌱

homeschool, Motherhood, Uncategorized

The weather has been so beautiful lately, we have been trying to do as much of our Botany classes outside as we can! We have put a ton of work into our back yard as a family, so it has been a really peaceful atmosphere to do our classes in.

Sati & Rocco decided that they wanted to take the class with us today as well.

The first thing we did today was learn the parts of a plant, and what each part is meant to do. For example, the stem sucks up the water for the plant and keeps it upright so that it can grow big & strong to support the weight of the plant. Sometimes a little man-made help is needed by using cages or trellises.

Then each girl picked a live plant with roots to examine & draw in their Botany workbooks. Mia worked with a Blueberry Bush that was purchased. Ella worked with a tomato plant that was propagated when a piece fell off of my tomato plants while planting.

When we were finished examining, drawing, & labeling our plants, the girls planted them. Ella added her to our tomato patch (and thought it was funny how small it was compared to the rest of them, *pictured below*) & Mia added hers along the fence next to my root vegetable garden.

Speaking of root vegetables, we also discussed them in our lesson today!

When we were finished we prepared our green bean seeds in a jar of water for next week’s lesson & checked back on our seeds from last week’s lesson in their ziploc bag “greenhouses.” The girls observed what has happened to the seeds over the last week, and what they think will happen over another week. Next week, we can check on our little pots from our Art, Play, Hike day & see how our wildflowers are doing also.

Botany has definitely been our favorite science unit so far!! It’s been so much fun to do as a whole family together & very hands on in every unit. I also love how many beautiful plants that we will get out of this unit! I’m excited to start incorporating some Botanical field trips into our classes also! We have a few fun ones picked out!

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

Raising Hippies | Our New Journey

homeschool, Motherhood, Uncategorized

We made a BIG decision to take a giant leap of faith & begin homeschooling our children this upcoming year! I am feeling very excited for this new journey, as well at very nervous.

Each day as I am learning more, gathering my resources, and seeing my vision coming together, my confidence is building & the nervousness is quickly fading away.

Although I do not owe a single person an explaination; my biggest factoring decision was the way the world is going. Honestly, I don’t feel safe sending my children out into society anymore. I should not have to worry if they will make it home when they leave for school each morning. I should not have to worry what my children are being influenced of by others at their most vulnerable and moldable stages. I believe homeschooling with allow my children to maintain their innocence, something I was robbed of from a very early age, each year only getting worse.

It may sound counter-productive to some, but I hope to eliminate stress from our lives. Getting five kids of five different ages up early in the morning to get a few of them ready for school is a miserable process that starts our day with negativity, lots of tears; both mine & theirs, the daily struggle to get kids who aren’t ready to wake up yet out of bed, fighting & yelling at each other, fighting the time to make sure my kids bellies are full; the slower eaters crying because they weren’t finished yet, rushing out the door in chaos every morning…. not a healthy way to start our day.

When you begin your day in a state of chaos, every single day, you really begin to lack joy & forget how incredibly blessed you are. You live in a constant state of fight or flight, just trying to make it through an hour at a time. Weekday mornings have been a MAJOR stressor since we first began school.

Then repeat the process halfway through the day for school pick up, only to go backwards in time until bedtime. Rush in the door, fight about homework, fight about clean up, fight about routines, and why my kids can’t have phones like the other kids, rush the clock to get them in bed, only to start over in the morning. I can’t live that way anymore, & we shouldn’t have to. We weren’t meant to.

I also am excited to teach my children other subjects. I will teach Ukrainian language to my children. I will teach them home economics & handicrafts. I will teach them gardening & sustainability. I will teach them important life skills that the schools today do not offer our children. They will take piano lessons from their older brother, Kaden. We will learn character building.

We will practice slow living. We will learn at our own pace, together. We will enjoy the process. We will enjoy life & all it has to offer. I’ll share our journey in the process.

Methods

1. Charlotte Mason

This method, known as “the feast of homeschooling, focuses on shorter lessons and lots of outside time. It is nature/art based, but includes an endless amount of education & resources.

Charlotte lived & taught by 20 principles:

  • Children are born with personalities
  • Children have a will to be good or bad
  • Teach children to respect authority
  • Use daily tools to teach children
  • Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life
  • Environmental education provides natural surroundings
  • Disciplinary education forms good habits
  • Provide life skills education to cultivate ideas
  • Build upon a childs natural curiosity
  • Build learning skills to gain knowledge
  • Feeding a child’s mind with a generous curriculum
  • Relations education builds connections
  • Provide a feast of knowledge for growth & stimulation
  • Narration is a key tool for learning
  • One narration reading is sufficient
  • Use the right way to guide moral and mind growth
  • Occupy a child’s time with positive conditions
  • Use reasoning skills only for mathematical truth
  • Moral principles will lead children to make the right decision
  • A child’s spiritual & mental life are intertwined.

To me, it is a better option than Unschooling. I enjoy the concept of Unschooling, but I cannot live in such a state. I thrive on structure, planners, visual charts, routines, complete organization….. I can’t live my day spontaneously. I would wander around aimlessly, accomplishing nothing. We still get the freedom & best parts of Unschooling, but in a more structured/guided way. It feels safer to me, especially as a new homeschooling mother.

I highly recommend these books if you are interested in learning more about the Charlotte Mason Method:

2. Montessori

This method looks at the child as a whole person through child-led learning with real life tools in a safe setting.

I have already been using this method for all of my children for their entire lives. We do not allow many plastic toys in our home, we strive for wooden, educational, & gender neutral. We are learning to adjust that though as the kids grow and find their own interests. We also focus on having interactive toys for them: a child-size grocery store, kitchen, flower shoppe, doctor office, etc so they are able to role-play & learn life skills on their own through play.

In the homeschool world, I would be considered an “Eclectic,” because I am using 2 or more different teaching methods to focus on the individual needs of each of my children.

Since I have all different ages, it just makes sense to all work together but dive deeper in independent work at their appropriate ages. Charlotte Mason & Montessori make that work for ALL of my childrens ages.

At the end of the year, we meet with a certified teacher for our end of year review to present our curriculum for the year & all that we have learned in order to “pass” the year in place of standardized testing. I am SUPER proud of my curriculum!!

They are still allowed to participate in sports & extra curricular through the school which is a great way to socialize & stay in contact with their school friends. Mia is currently a cheerleader & Ella begins volleyball next week!

I am incredibly excited for this new journey for us & documenting it all here along the way.

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

A Humbling Experience

Uncategorized

Good morning world 🌎

I’m going to get really vulnerable here for a change. It’s scary & embarrassing, but it’s real life, and it’s why I made this blog in the first place.

Every once in awhile I notice the lessons that the universe gives me in order to make me a stronger person. It’s honestly really cool and eye-opening. Sometimes we all need to be broken down in some way in order to build us back up, but since beginning my spiritual journey I’ve seen time & time again that you will not be left broken if you have faith.

My husband works a full time career. I am a stay at home mom/homemaker. Our family of 7 receives snap benefits and I’m not going to lie; we rely pretty heavily on that for a big chunk of our monthly groceries. Especially since March 2020, we have been receiving a second payment (called an “emergency allotment”) which has really been extremely appreciated by our family.

It’s an impossible cycle they set in place to ensure reliance on the government. The ultimate goal is to be self-reliant and not need snap benefits, but as soon as you make enough to be comfortable for a split second, they cut you off from benefits and you’re immediately back to struggling. I’ve known people to quit their jobs just to not lose their food or medical benefits for their child.

Anyway, the day it has been scheduled (from 3/20-present) to hit our account arrives and I could not be more thrilled to place our Drive Up order at Kroger. Before I place the order, I habitually check the balance, only to see $7.74. I call to hear our next scheduled payment date: nearly a month away. I panicked.

I did some research online. I saw that only some states renewed the EA payments through the end of April, and Ohio wasn’t on the list. I panicked even more. I have 5 little mouths to feed, plus my husband & I, but their little bellies are our first priority. $7 wasn’t going to work. My first instinct was to find a food bank to stock up on as many groceries as I could to supplement that payment until at least payday, then figure out an entire new budget. I was embarrassed to share my current situation with anyone. I was scared if anyone knew I was struggling with food, I would lose my kids.

I headed to The Healing Place. It was very nice, everyone was super friendly. They offer free onsite childcare with background-checked volunteers while you are there so you can focus on the task(s) at hand, a free clothing/home needs store, a free grocery store with food items donated by local grocery stores such as Kroger & Costco, as well as free bicycles and/or bus tokens, free medical attention (well checks, addiction specialists, mental health services, eye health, etc.) by UC students, and so much more. It really is such a beautiful mission.

I came home feeling a mix of grateful, like a total failure, and very humbled. I hadn’t been in a place like that for myself in a long time. It’s a very humbling experience and definitely knocked my ass down a few notches, but my pride & snobbish attitude obviously needed to be put in check and I needed to be reminded that EVERYONE needs help sometimes. Getting help does not mean that you are a failure or a bad mom, it means you are human.

The next day I went to Kroger to buy a head of lettuce. Before going in I checked the balance, out of habit, knowing that it was still going to say $7.74. But it didn’t. The payment had been deposited a few hours earlier.

It was a miracle. I was seriously shocked. A total wave of relief washed over me. As well as a sobering realization that at any moment our food supply can be cut off- the government has us right where they want us- relient on them.

I now see the importance of having a bulk food & water supply in case of emergencies that our family can survive on, instead of just a fully stocked pantry that I’ve been focusing on in my homemaking.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please do not be ashamed to ask for help. With the intense inflation, many people are struggling more than they care to admit. You aren’t alone. There is plenty of help out there available to families (and single people as well), and that is exactly what it is intended for- to help in your time of need. You are worthy of help.

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

Ukrainian Pancakes (Syrniki)

Motherhood, Recipes, Uncategorized

Sasha & I made Syrniki this morning for breakfast! Syrniki are Ukrainian pancakes made from Farmers Cheese. I didn’t have time to pick up real Farmers Cheese, so I used cottage cheese as a substitute. Next time I make these, I’m going to stop in at Marina’s European Food Market and pick up some real Slavic Farmers Cheese.

In case you don’t know us personally, I am Ukrainian & my husband is from Russia. I was lucky enough to grow up learning some of the Ukrainian/Eastern European culture from my dad & his family (his sister, Mary, & her polish husband, Vince, both who are sadly no longer with us.) I loved going to their family parties! Learning the traditions, hearing the language… I loved their accents. I’d ask them to speak to me in Ukrainian, and in Ukrainian they would say, “why should I speak it if you can’t understand it?” I just thought that was the coolest thing ever. I learned a few words growing up, but never the language.

Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to marry an Eastern European man. I gave all of my children a Ukrainian (or Russian) middle name to honor our heritage: Kaden Yuri (after my dad) 💙, Ella Aleksandriya 💗, Mia Nataliya (after Niko’s birth mother) 💗, Sasha Katiya 💗, Athena Mariyah (after my dad’s sister & my mom, both Mary… *side note: it isn’t supposed to have an “h” at the end. I’m still mad at myself for agreeing to putting that) 💗, & Moses Kolya (after Niko) 💙.

Since the invasion, I have decided to go “full Ukrainian.” I’ve taught myself how to read & write their alphabet confidently. I can now speak Ukrainian at an elementary level. I am teaching my children as I learn so we can be fluent at home. My husband has tried teaching me Russian over the years (which is very similar to Ukrainian), and I’ve tried Rosetta Stone in the past so it wasn’t totally unfamiliar to me, but this time it just clicked- almost like it was unlocked from my DNA bank. I finally would be able to not only understand what they were saying to me, but respond too. I’m so proud of myself.

In addition to all of that, I am learning how to cook Ukrainian foods so that I will be able to pass recipes down to my children to continue embracing our culture for generations to come.

Today we made Syrniki & it turned out REALLY yummy so I decided to share it here.

Gather your ingredients.

  • 2 16oz containers cottage cheese (farmers cheese if possible)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

I have a large family & wanted to make sure that I had extra to send to my parents to try. If you have a small family; cut this in half, or make & use for breakfast prep/freezer breakfast meal for later.

Mix together.

Sasha hard at work mixing everything together in a big bowl.

Meanwhile, pour some oil of your choice on a skillet on the stove and let it heat up.

Wash your hands again. Leave them a little wet, but not dripping. Grab a smallish size amount of cheese mixture and form into a patty & place on stove. Wet hands again & repeat one by one. You’ll want to fry them until they are golden brown. DO NOT move them until you see the crust forming on the bottom & the top looks flat like pancake batter, no longer like cottage cheese (the cottage cheese will slop all over the pan if you flip too soon). Flipping is more difficult than with American pancakes.

Once both sides are golden brown, transfer to a place &…

Serve.

I served these with peaches. I had planned on making cream to go with them as well, but got too overwhelmed with the flipping that I decided peaches were enough. Next time I will definitely make the cream ahead of time because it would be a very nice treat to go with them.

Now that I made them and know what to expect, I will feel more confident making them from here on out. I am excited to try them with various toppings, especially other fruits & jams. They are more savory than sweet, so the fruits bring a natural sweetness to them. They are really, really good though- the kids even said they were delicious!

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

Big Summer Cuts

Motherhood, Uncategorized

We found the BEST kids salon in the world. Seriously.

It is SUCH a cute place! Its like a miniature version of a grown up salon and everyone who knows me, knows how I feel about miniature things 😍.

Seriously though, I couldn’t get over how cute this place is! As soon as you walk in they offer you a drink; water, cold brew, or local craft beer. I can almost never turn down a cold brew 😉.

There is a cute little gift shop with adorable hair accessories and little toys. There’s a hair product section of kid-safe products for sale as well. There’s also a play section with wooden toys in the waiting area to play with.

There is also a room for nails & glitter tattoos which is where the birthday parties are held. The receptionist was telling us about more future plans happening that will make this kids salon EVEN better! I can’t wait to see how that is even possible!

Before

During

After

Mia got one braid in the front + purple glitter. Ella got two braids tied behind like a ninja which could not be a more perfect hair style for her + blue glitter.

Mia kept her long hair just trimming off the dead ends, but Ella brought hers closer to her shoulders so that it would be a lot easier for her to maintain without taking too much length. She has very thick hair that locks up really bad. Brushing her hair has always been a traumatic event for both of us, so I am really hopeful that this new style helps. It definitely looks adorable!

This really was such a fun experience and is going to be our haircut home from now on. We have officially become that family that will only go to one place for the rest of our kids lives. Seriously though, it’s that great of a place! We will definitely be back for Mia’s birthday in August for a pamper sesh!

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov

Celebrating Moses

Crafts & DIY, Motherhood

We had our parents (minus my mom ☹️) & Kaden over tonight to celebrate Moses’ birthday. We were supposed to last weekend, but most of our family had a cough and/or runny nose, so we postponed to tonight, but unfortunately my mom tested positive for covid today so she stayed home.

My original plan was supposed to be a grill-out, but since it rained on & off all day, we moved it inside instead so I just threw something small together.

I used our tree stump cake stand from our fall forest wedding for a homemade chocolate cake. I made little “s’mores cups” out of garden seed starter cups & filled a fall mini loaf pan with gummy bears. I grabbed a stuffed squirrel we had & had the kids find me some sticks to place in a vase for decor.

I found these cute little cake toppers on Amazon and just stuck them in cute. My dad commented that it looked better than the ones I get from a bakery which made me sooooo happy to hear & really proud of my hardwork.

We ordered a variety tray of Subway sandwiches since our food menu changed on us. I also put out Pretzel twig sticks, wild berry mix my dad brought, and some babybel cheeses that I drew spots on to look like ladybugs.

I found this cute woodland theme party set on Amazon. They were adorable.

I made the garland finding photos on Pinterest that looked similar to the plates. I printed them out, glued them to construction paper, them laminated them & cut into individual pieces. I used a hole puncher to make holes and tried some yarn through to hang up. It barely took any time at all and looked really cute.

Moses was pretty nervous by the candle. He took a few bites of his piece before throwing it on the floor.

The handsome guest of honor with his super adorable “I’m Ukrainian, what’s your superpower?” Shirt.

It was really small, but it was only his first so realistically he had no idea what that whole shindig was for. It was still cute though and I hope everyone had a nice evening celebrating my Mosie Man.

Niko told me that I am “the best mom in the world” when he came home from work which really meant so much to me. He knows how hard I am on myself about being a mom & always thinking I’m not good enough/not doing enough so that really meant the world to me. I just hope the kids think it, that’s what really matters.

Until next time ♡ Mama Morozov