Our Statewide Request for Hunger Relief Funding in the 2026-27 State Biennial Budget
Ohio’s hunger relief network is working every day to strengthen our communities by ensuring access to nutritious food. We are humbly requesting $29.48 million per year in the 2026-2027 state biennial budget to help us procure locally grown produce, protein, and dairy products, shelf-stable foods, and center-of-the-plate items.
The Ohio Association of Foodbanks is grateful for the State of Ohio’s ongoing investment of $24.55 million per year in state-funded food purchase programs. This funding allows us to provide fresh fruits, vegetables, protein, dairy, and staple foods to nearly 2,000 local food pantries and 1,600 soup kitchens, shelters, and feeding sites across all 88 counties. However, food costs have risen by 23.6% since 2020, significantly reducing our purchasing power. Without additional support, it is becoming increasingly difficult to meet the growing needs of Ohio families facing food insecurity.
To maintain the same level of impact that state funding provided before the COVID-19 pandemic, we have requested an inflationary adjustment of $4.93 million per year. While this modest increase does not fully account for rising food prices, it will make a meaningful difference in preventing hunger for Ohioans in need. At the same time, we are facing a significant reduction in federal food assistance, further straining our ability to source and distribute nutritious food. Ohioans struggling to make ends meet are also being impacted by the lack of action on SNAP benefit security and changes proposed in Sub. H.B. 96 that could create additional barriers to food assistance.
Despite these challenges, our network remains committed to leveraging every available resource to fight hunger. Each year, we coordinate the efforts of 85,000 volunteers who contribute 360,000 hours of service, valued at approximately $10.5 million and we source an estimated 140 million pounds of donated and privately purchased food, valued at $220 million.
Food insecurity is present in every zip code, county and House and Senate district across Ohio. Often it is a leading indicator of larger issues facing households with low and moderate incomes, like rising costs for basic needs like housing, transportation, and health care, weakened social safety nets, gaps in access to healthy food, and more. Years of cumulative inflationary pressure have further exacerbated the need for help with food in Ohio’s communities. To respond effectively, we need the public, private, and charitable sectors working together on the same team. Fortunately, Ohio has a remarkable history of bipartisan support for effective public-private partnerships that alleviate and prevent hunger and support Ohio’s agricultural and food supply chain. We urge Ohio’s leaders to act now by supporting an increase in state food assistance funding, protecting access to SNAP, and ensuring that no Ohioan is forced to choose between hunger and basic necessities.
Why is this investment needed?
We are part of a complex local, regional, domestic, and global food supply chain that faces increasing challenges to its long-term stability. To contribute to a resilient agricultural sector in Ohio – the backbone of Ohio’s economy – we have been partners for nearly three decades in providing outlets for surplus or otherwise unmarketable fruits, vegetables, protein, and dairy items. Our long-term, public-private partnership with the State of Ohio, Ohio’s farmers, growers, and producers, and Ohio’s foodbanks reduces food waste and supports agricultural partners navigating increasing volatility in their business of feeding the state, the nation, and the world. The foods we procure through our partnership with the State of Ohio represent some of the most wholesome and nutritious items available through our charitable hunger relief network. We are proud to be the State of Ohio’s partner in:
- Supporting Ohio families facing high costs for household expenses like housing, utilities, food, child care, transportation, and medical care.
- Promoting access to nutritious foods today and workforce development for a brighter tomorrow for Ohio students, workers, and justice-involved residents.
- Providing access to wholesome foods to Ohio’s growing population of older adults, helping them to age in place with dignity and manage chronic conditions.
- Partnering for a resilient agricultural industry that can continue to nourish Ohio’s families and Ohio’s future economy.