History

The 1974 Xenia Tornado was a violent F5 tornado that destroyed a large portion of Xenia and Wilberforce, OH on the Afternoon of April 3, 1974.

The 1974 Xenia Tornado is considered to be the worst tornado in Ohio’s History, and is the reason for improved warning systems, alarms, and safety protocols throughout the state.

After the 1974 tornado that ravaged the City of Xenia, the pantry was established in 1976 in an Episcopal Church as an Outreach of interfaith network. 

In 1978, the pantry became a nonprofit organization registered with the State of Ohio.

Families striving to rebuild their lives needed food assistance during this difficult period.

The pantry remained in the church until 1993 and then moved to a new location in the Greene County Services building on Ledbetter Road.

In March 2019, the county needed more space for Bureau of Elections and offered an alternative space on Cincinnati Avenue which boasted 3x the allocated space.

In March 2025, the pantry opened a newly built 40 x 80 storage facility and installed a 24 x 30 ft freezer and cooler. This allows the pantry to accept more and larger food donations.

Today the pantry occupies a total of 9200 sq ft and continues to expand to meet the growing needs of our community.