On Thursday morning, Oct. 15, volunteers from The Foodbank and CareSource handed out food for people and pets at Montgomery County Fairgrounds. WHIO reporter Trinity Corbett was at the distribution and reported hundreds of cars at the grounds. The venue’s official October calendar independently lists “Food Bank Food Distribution” on Oct. 15, confirming the event date and location.
WHIO said volunteers passed chicken drumsticks, pet food and toothbrushes to people arriving by car. The mix reached beyond groceries, including food for companion animals and a basic hygiene item.
Before the event, Spectrum News reported that the distribution was scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon as a drive-through open to the public. Its Oct. 13 preview said The Foodbank and CareSource planned to provide produce and chicken, and that SICSA Pet Adoption and Wellness Center would offer cat and dog food. WHIO’s later account confirms that chicken and pet food were among items distributed; it does not report the full planned inventory.
Spectrum also reported in advance that Five Rivers Health Centers planned a mobile clinic with free flu vaccines, blood-pressure screenings, A1C tests and help finding a primary-care provider. That was a description of the planned services. WHIO’s Oct. 15 report focuses on the food distribution and does not confirm which clinic services were delivered, so this account does not treat those screenings as an observed outcome.
Spectrum described the gathering as part of an annual distribution series with CareSource. Its pre-event story quoted Jesse Reed describing the partnership as a practical way to help meet families’ everyday needs. WHIO later reported volunteers from both organizations at the fairgrounds.
Alyson Allen, whom WHIO identified as a community member, told the station the distribution was needed and described neighbors helping one another as a way to move forward.
Amber Wright, The Foodbank’s development director, told WHIO that the distributions address food insecurity and offer relief to families managing tight budgets. She also described the organization’s work as extending beyond food through wraparound services. The station reported that rising food and fuel costs were prompting Miami Valley residents to look for ways to save.
The Foodbank says its three-county work runs through 119 partner agencies operating pantries, meal sites and mobile distributions. Those options give residents several routes to food assistance beyond a one-day event.
The Foodbank’s 2025 Map the Meal Gap explainer gives broader context for the need discussed by both interviewees. The organization estimates more than 114,000 Montgomery County residents experienced food insecurity in 2023, including one in four children. WHIO cited the county figure and reported Montgomery had the highest overall rating among neighboring counties with similar numbers.
The same Foodbank report estimates food insecurity across Montgomery, Greene and Preble counties at 15.3% in 2023, up from 14.3% in 2022, a change the organization equates to about 8,000 additional people. Its estimates list more than 23,000 affected residents in Greene County and nearly 6,000 in Preble County. The organization notes that some Greene County residents just above the poverty line may not qualify for federal nutrition programs. It also estimates food insecurity affects one in five children in Preble County.
The report explains that the 2025 edition uses 2023 data, published after time for information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics to be collected and analyzed. Its two-year publication delay means those estimates describe 2023, not October 2026. The Foodbank says the estimates exclude residents of military bases and college campuses—including Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and several area universities—although those populations may still experience food insecurity. Its explainer also describes county comparisons by age and race or ethnicity and estimates food-budget shortfalls using average prices.
WHIO directed viewers who could not attend to The Foodbank’s pantry locator, where residents can look for local food resources. The locator asks residents to enter a ZIP code to find a pantry in their area, offering an option beyond a scheduled mass distribution.
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