Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who can receive assistance?
A. Brown Bag Food Project is a resource available to anyone living in Wood County Ohio.
Q: What happens after I call to request help?
A: After you call to receive help, one of our volunteers will arrange a time for you to come to our office to receive food assistance.
A phone call is not necessary if help is requested within our regular business hours of Monday, Wednesday and Friday 5:00pm-6:30pm.
If calling outside of those hours, please leave a message and one of our volunteers will return your call within 24 hours.
Q. What do I need to bring to receive assistance?
A: We ask that you bring some form of ID with you. If you do not have an ID, this will NOT disqualify you from receiving services.
Q: Do you ever deny help to someone who is in need of food?
A: No, Brown Bag Food Project will not turn anyone away. If you are in need of food assistance, we will help you. However, we only offer assistance once every 2 months. If you are not within those two month guidelines, please give us a call and we will help connect you to other resources in our community that can help provide long-term support.
Q: How are you different from a food pantry?
A: Food pantries serve an important purpose in our community but they have limitations.
Pantries are open limited hours and many food pantries require an individual or family to be referred to their pantry by a third party or may require ‘means testing’ to determine if someone qualifies for their services. This can translate into a waiting period before an individual has access to the resources provided by a food pantry.
The Brown Bag is available any time and, if necessary, can deliver your food box if you are 65+ and disabled (completely homebound). If you express an immediate need for food, we will help you, and we recognize that this need may be urgent.
Many families may not qualify for specific services but still need help meeting their basic needs, including food. We want to help those who may be falling through the cracks and those who may be waiting for their benefits to begin. Hunger does not wait, and we won’t either.
Q: When and Where Can I Find You?
A: We are located at 530 Sand Ridge Rd, Bowling Green, Ohio, and we are normally open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm. However, if you need to speak with a representative for any reason, contact us here. If needed, we can arrange someone to help you any day of the week.
Q. Where does the food in your pantry come from?
A. We receive food once a month from Seagate Food Bank. We have also received a grant from The Department of Homeland Security through United Way, The Bowling Green Community Foundation, and Walmart stores.
Most of our food comes from donations from our supporters and from fundraising events.
We also accept donations of food, hygiene products and pet food.
Q. I do not need assistance but I want to help, what can I do?
A. We accept perishable and non-perishable food items. We also accept hygiene items and pet food. We gladly accept monetary donations to purchase items.
Also, you can connect your Kroger Plus Card to our organization. Our Number is 78488.
We also have volunteer opportunities. Please follow our Facebook, subscribe to our newsletter and contact us to stay up to date on all opportunities available.
Thank you for wanting to donate. All of the money that is raised by the project helps feed families in need in Wood County, Ohio. We also accept donations of food, hygiene products and pet food.
3 Ways to Help