Food Pantry & Shelters
Daybreak

Safe Shelter
Daybreak operates the region’s only emergency shelter, open 24/7, for youth ages 10 to 20. Daybreak provides shelter, food, clothing, counseling, safety, and stability to more than 300 youth each year.
Housing
Daybreak’s housing program is the region’s only program designed to move homeless youth ages 18 to 24 out of homelessness, poverty, under-education, and crisis and into housing, financial independence, educational achievement, and self-sufficiency.
Outreach
Daybreak’s street outreach program serves youth ages 18 to 24 who are couch-hopping, living on the street, or staying in an adult shelter. Daybreak provides these youth with food, a place to shower and do laundry, hygiene items, and case management while helping them find a safe place to live.
Employment
Daybreak's employment program helps Daybreak youth develop the skills necessary to get and keep jobs. In addition, youth have the opportunity to participate in Supported Employment, Individual Placement and Support programming to find the best match for their employment preferences. Lindy's Bakery, Daybreak's gourmet dog treat bakery and transitional job program, provides Daybreak youth with the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in a supportive environment.
Daybreak operates the region’s only emergency shelter, open 24/7, for youth ages 10 to 20. Daybreak provides shelter, food, clothing, counseling, safety, and stability to more than 300 youth each year.
Housing
Daybreak’s housing program is the region’s only program designed to move homeless youth ages 18 to 24 out of homelessness, poverty, under-education, and crisis and into housing, financial independence, educational achievement, and self-sufficiency.
Outreach
Daybreak’s street outreach program serves youth ages 18 to 24 who are couch-hopping, living on the street, or staying in an adult shelter. Daybreak provides these youth with food, a place to shower and do laundry, hygiene items, and case management while helping them find a safe place to live.
Employment
Daybreak's employment program helps Daybreak youth develop the skills necessary to get and keep jobs. In addition, youth have the opportunity to participate in Supported Employment, Individual Placement and Support programming to find the best match for their employment preferences. Lindy's Bakery, Daybreak's gourmet dog treat bakery and transitional job program, provides Daybreak youth with the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in a supportive environment.
Choice Food Pantry
The CSSMV Choice Food Pantry is the busiest food-distribution pantry in the Greater Dayton area. The pantry makes available emergency food assistance to those who reside in poor urban neighborhoods in west and northwest Dayton. Annually, the pantry assists over 18,000 adults and children. Major client groups include working poor, seniors, transitional welfare recipients, single high-needs individuals, and the temporarily unemployed. Forty percent who benefit from the food program are children.

The mission of The Foodbank is to relieve hunger through the acquisition and distribution of food to hungry people throughout the Miami Valley. Food and related supplies are distributed to a network of pantries, community kitchens, shelters and other charitable programs, all of which support the health and development of food insecure individuals.
If you or someone you know needs help with food assistance, please contact the United Way of the Greater Dayton Area’s Helplink. Dial 2-1-1 or 225-3000.
Feeding AmericaThe Foodbank is a member of Feeding America- “The Nation’s Foodbank Network.”
We are a private, nonprofit organization supported by generous individuals, corporations and foundations. In addition The Foodbank receives funding from the Montgomery County Human Services Levy, and is a United Way Partner Agency.
If you or someone you know needs help with food assistance, please contact the United Way of the Greater Dayton Area’s Helplink. Dial 2-1-1 or 225-3000.
Feeding AmericaThe Foodbank is a member of Feeding America- “The Nation’s Foodbank Network.”
We are a private, nonprofit organization supported by generous individuals, corporations and foundations. In addition The Foodbank receives funding from the Montgomery County Human Services Levy, and is a United Way Partner Agency.
Kids Café/Backpack

Kids Café programs provide free meals and snacks to low-income children through a variety of existing community locations such as after school programs and churches. In addition to providing meals to hungry kids, Kids Café programs offer a safe place, where under the supervision of trustworthy staff, a child can get involved in educational, recreational and social activities.
There are a number of Kids Café programs in the area including:
Good-to-Go Backpack Program
There are many children throughout The Foodbank’s service area that receive free or reduced lunches at school. But over the weekend, these same children are at a high risk of going hungry. The Good-to-Go Backpack program addresses the needs of over 1,500 of these children throughout the area.
Good-to-Go backpacks are sent home with specifically identified children every Friday throughout the school year. Each backpack is filled with food children can take home and eat over the weekend. The food is kid-friendly, easy-open and easily prepared. No one but the child knows what is in his or her backpack, thus maintaining the dignity of each participant.
There are a number of Kids Café programs in the area including:
- Boys & Girls Club of Dayton
- Dakota Center
- Dayton Christian Center
- East End Kid’s Café
- Holt Street Miracle Center
- Liberty Worship Center
- Memorial UCC
- Mount Olive Baptist Church
- Saint Paul United Methodist Church
- Victory Project Inc.
- Wesley Community Center
- YMCA of Greater Dayton
Good-to-Go Backpack Program
There are many children throughout The Foodbank’s service area that receive free or reduced lunches at school. But over the weekend, these same children are at a high risk of going hungry. The Good-to-Go Backpack program addresses the needs of over 1,500 of these children throughout the area.
Good-to-Go backpacks are sent home with specifically identified children every Friday throughout the school year. Each backpack is filled with food children can take home and eat over the weekend. The food is kid-friendly, easy-open and easily prepared. No one but the child knows what is in his or her backpack, thus maintaining the dignity of each participant.