Neighbors Helping Neighbors Fight Food Insecurity

What We Do

Grocery Buddies is a community-led aid network that helps individuals and families in Hamilton County during verified emergencies — such as benefit lapses, eviction, or utility shutoffs — by connecting them with a trusted, vetted, and verified Grocery Buddy to provide one round of emergency support.

Our mission is to help neighbors get food to eat in their pantry and to provide connections to services that address food insecurity head on.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors Eat Well

The idea of Grocery Buddies took shape during the government shutdown of 2025. Our founder, Andy, made a post in a Cincinnati mom group offering to connect neighbors willing to buy groceries with families that had suddenly lost SNAP benefits.

Our Model

A crisis is never scheduled, and many community resources have applications and waiting periods. Food pantries have limited hours of operation and can only offer families what they have on hand.

Our model at Grocery Buddies is to act fast to address a crisis, then set up support for long-term needs. It also helps community members develop valuable connections and get to know their neighbors!

Ways to Give

How We Do It

A volunteer Grocery Buddy buys a round of groceries for a family with SNAP facing lapse in benefits, evictions, or utility shut-off. We recommend $50 per person in the household, but that's a suggestion.

Buddies can shop and deliver, meet recipients at the store, or donate gift cards. We also connect families with resources and services in the community such as benefits help and employment resources.

We are always looking for people with special skills and abilities! Feel free to mention when you sign up.