Friday Ombudsman: Lisa Andrews
People’s Pantry Cincy Founder, Lisa Andrews — Photo by Joe Simon, Soapbox Cincinnati
“Lettuce take care of our neighbors in need.”
Lisa Andrews is a Registered Dietitian, entrepreneur, author, and community leader. I want to highlight her People’s Pantry project now because it’s a great way to help your neighbors immediately, within shelter-in-place guidelines, or get help immediately. Read on to learn more about People’s Pantry Cincy, Lisa’s local favorites, and her very punny food swag business. Read to the end for a giveaway.
Name: Lisa Andrews
Residential neighborhood: Pleasant Ridge
Tell us about a small or brief problem/issue you have tacked or solved with a government agency. How did you do it? What was the key to breaking through the problem?
The initial "government problem" I worked on was community engagement during a tense election. I recognized that friends and family (and people in general) were becoming more distant over politics. Prior to the election in 2016, I came across a video on Facebook of how a woman in Arkansas started a mini food pantry to help neighbors in need. Being a dietitian, I recognized this as an opportunity to connect people again around a common cause (feeding people). Cincinnati has one of the highest rates of childhood poverty, and with that comes food insecurity. I started a mini food pantry in Pleasant Ridge in September 2016 that's still going strong. After that, I wrote a People's Liberty grant for $10,000 to have 10 more placed in the lowest income/food desert neighborhoods of Cincinnati. We used old single copy news boxes for pantries and had 10 different artists design them. After the first 10 were placed, I stayed in contact with the Enquirer and they gave me 5 more boxes. We have over 25 mini pantries around the city that other communities have started. (More information below on Pantry locations and donations guidelines.)
Where are your favorite Cincinnati places? I love the food and energy of Findlay market. I love the old architecture of OTR and the restaurants and pubs. I enjoy discovering coffee shops like Collective Espresso, College Hill Coffee Shop, and JuJu Beans Coffee & Friends in St. Bernard. I could go on here. Another favorite place is the 7 Hills Resale shop. I can kill some time in thrift shops or antique stores.
What is an “unwritten public etiquette rule” of Cincinnati-area life? Please don't put your dog's poop in other’s garbage cans. That's just nasty.
Who is your favorite Cincinnatian? Why? Can I name more than one? Sean Mullaney for starters. He was assigned as a designer for my pantry project launch day and stayed on my small team throughout the project. He helped rehab the Enquirer boxes in his Camp Washington warehouse and designed the R2FeedU pantry on Colerain Ave.
Aaron Kent (owner of DIY Printing) is on that list, too. He is a tireless worker who prints tees and totes for non-profit and for-profit businesses around the city. He gave his mom one of my food pun tee shirts every time he printed a new design. She loved them. RIP Julie Kent.
Stuart Hodesh is another favorite. He is one of my pantry champions and monitors the pantry in Madisonville. We call or text regularly to figure out ways to find more food for the Madisonville pantry.
Mary Seguin, a food stylist I met through a mutual friend. She was part of my pantry team and knows almost everyone in the food world (and beyond) in Cincinnati. We share food stories and meals when we can.
Defunct place or institution you would bring back? My family and I stayed at the Vernon Manor when I got married and were so sad when it closed.
New place or institution you would bring to Cincinnati? A multi-generational cooking school. People of all ages, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds could host cooking classes to teach others to cook and enjoy food.
What place do we need in the Cincinnati area? The world's largest picnic table. I love seeing people get together over food. All are welcome to come and share a dish. Bring live music — even better!
If they would just make me mayor for a day, I would "__________.": Forgive all the parking ticket fines. The first day my daughter parked on the street near her school, she got a $65 ticket. She was devastated!
You should have asked me, "_______________.": How can people help support the mini pantries? Check out the Facebook page to locate one near you: facebook.com/peoplespantrycincy
Donate with dignity. Donate non-perishable food or toiletry items. Do not add anything perishable, expired, opened or in glass containers. And no pet food! Pantries are for people, not pets. Lettuce take care of our neighbors in need.
Shameless Plug – use this space to plug one local Cincinnati-area event/organization/website/business/place/product that is special to you. Why should we know about it? What makes it singular?: My shameless plug is my food pun swag shop, Lettuce Beet Hunger. After my pantry project, I worked with Chris Glass (a graphic designer friend and People's Liberty fellow) to design a line of food pun tees where part of the proceeds go back to food insecurity issues in Cincinnati. I've been donating to St. Seraph Ministries Cooking for the Family program in OTR.
My site: http://soundbitesnutrition.com/shop
Lisa is also an author. Her book, The Healing Gout Cookbook was published in March 2020. Congratulations, Lisa!
Follow Lisa: @nutrigirl66
Giveaway:
City Ombudsman will give one of Lisa’s t-shirts to one lucky Pantry donor. To enter, visit a pantry and post a picture of the pantry &/or yourself donating to the pantry. Use hashtags #peoplespantrycincy and #cityombudsman. Winner will be selected at random from all hashtagged social media photos (Instagram & Facebook) posted through April 10, 2020.
Why stop reading now? You might also like:
Issue #1 -- What does "no turn on red" on school days mean?
Read prior Friday Ombudsman posts:
Fred Neurohr — Traffic calming in Northside and a beef with Izzi’s
Rachel Hastings — Case study in crime reduction in Covington and that Cincinnati question
Regina Carswell Russo — Real talk on diversity and the dish that is addicting, delicious, soothing, and medicinal
Dr. Amber Kelly Pro networking tips using Cincinnati’s strengths and the question I really should have asked her
Steve Ramos Animal control and his favorite “urban, egalitarian Jewish community” leader
Jeffrey Miller Food waste reduction through the tax code and York Peppermint patties
Geralyn Sparough What neighborhood felt like home for this Californian and how she weaves this City together
Be the next Friday Ombudsman by clicking the Be the Friday Ombudsman button on the home page and send your answers. Everyone has something to contribute!