News & Updates

“We are grateful to Chairman Cirino, Vice Chairman Chavez, Ranking Member Hicks-Hudson, and leadership and members of the Ohio Senate for including continued support for Ohio’s hunger relief network in its budget. This $24.55 million investment is a lifeline for the 3,600 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters serving families in every corner of our state.

“At a time when food prices remain high, this funding will help keep shelves stocked with healthy, Ohio-grown and Ohio-produced foods. It will help ensure that children, older adults, veterans, and working families don’t have to worry about where their next meal will come from. Every dollar invested in our statewide food purchasing programs not only fights hunger, but creates jobs, strengthens local supply chains, and boosts local economies.

“We are also thankful that the Senate removed harmful policy changes, like change reporting, that would have disrupted SNAP access and increased red tape. Protecting these programs means protecting people, communities, and the systems that keep them resilient in hard times.

“Ohio’s foodbanks remain ready to stretch every public dollar and continue delivering for our neighbors. We look forward to support for these priorities in conference committee and to building on this foundation with the Ohio General Assembly and the DeWine-Tressel Administration for an even stronger, more food-secure Ohio.”

As Congress considers the budget reconciliation legislation this week, the Ohio Association of Foodbanks urges lawmakers to reject proposals that would reduce funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. These programs are vital for everyday Ohioans in every Congressional district. Cutting them would only worsen hunger and hardship across our state.

“We are grateful to Chairman Stewart, Ranking Member Sweeney, and the members of the House Finance Committee for continuing to prioritize the essential work of Ohio’s foodbanks in Am. Sub. H.B. 96. Their support of $24.55 million per year in state-funded food purchase programs helps ensure that nearly 2,000 food pantries and 1,600 soup kitchens, shelters, and supplemental feeding sites can provide nutritious, center-of-the-plate foods to families in every corner of our state.

“Foodbanks and the people we serve are feeling the effects of inflation. Since 2020, food prices have surged by nearly 24%, meaning the same level of funding buys significantly less, both in consumers’ grocery carts and in our own purchasing power as a statewide hunger relief network. That’s why we’re respectfully asking for an additional $4.93 million per year to help offset these rising costs, so we can continue to source healthy, nutrient-dense foods to nourish families and seniors and support Ohio agriculture.

“We look forward to working with members of the Ohio Senate to adjust this investment to account for some of the inflationary pressure we are attempting to absorb. With modest additional support, Ohio’s foodbanks will continue to stretch every dollar to maintain access to healthy foods when seniors and working families are forced to turn to us for help.”

Ohioans on the front-line fighting hunger are urging the state’s U.S. Senators to change the budget reconciliation package passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.

The bill makes dramatic changes to the food stamps program, known as SNAP, placing a substantial new burden on states. It comes at a moment when food banks and pantries say they’re stretched to the breaking point.

“We’re the richest nation on earth,” Grace Church pastor and Mid-Ohio Food Collective Board Member Michael Young said Thursday.

“This issue of feeding people should not be this difficult or this hard,” he continued, “(There) should not be many decisions to make when we’re talking about putting food on people’s table — it is a moral obligation.”

Food banks across Ohio are dealing with a major increase in need, but each Republican budget passed in the state cuts their funding from 2025 to 2026 by millions.

The need for help putting food on the table is growing in Ohio.

Last year’s visits to the state’s network of food pantries were nearly 16 million, including repeat customers, according to the Ohio Association of Foodbanks.

“The fact is that, unfortunately, the need for food is at an all-time high,” Kristin Warzocha with Greater Cleveland Food Bank said.

Now, Warzocha is bracing for a tough year.

“We are expecting changes that could result in up to 8 million less pounds of food next year,” she said. “That’s a 15% decrease — that’s without additional public or private support.”

Ohio food banks are currently receiving $32.5 million from the state. But typically, they’ve been receiving about $24.5 million since 2019. In the last budget, they were given a one-time supplement of $7.5 million due to extra COVID-19 dollars and increased need. Now they would be going back to $24.5 million — despite the surge in need and inflation.

The purpose of this report is to highlight the main findings from a follow up survey on Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) which has been branded Ohio CAN (Community + Agriculture + Nutrition) in Ohio. The goal of the survey was to understand the perceived impact of the Ohio CAN program on local agricultural businesses. Survey questions were devised with input from Howard Fleeter & Associates, the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, and regional foodbanks to collect data on business demographics, business growth, food safety, employment, food chain supply resiliency, wellness, and future business outlook.