News & Updates

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.

With foodbanks across Ohio serving more pantry visitors in the last six months than at any point in their nearly 35-year history, the Ohio Association of Foodbanks is calling for urgent action to secure funding in the 2026-2027 state budget. On February 12, the Ohio Assocation of Foodbanks hosted its “Friends of the Foodbanks Day” at the Ohio Statehouse, bringing together food pantry leaders, partner farms, faith leaders and other hunger relief advocates for a day of advocacy and action. The event highlighted the increased demand for food assistance and the essential role of state funding in ensuring families in all 88 Ohio counties have access to nutritious food. The program began with a networking session, followed by compelling remarks from Joree Novotny, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, who addressed the growing strain on the state’s hunger relief network and the recently proposed decrease in funds.

“Today, USDA announced $1 billion toward a national investment in proven initiatives that respond to the needs of people facing hunger and invest in resilient local food supply chains and farmers.

“The USDA will allocate $500 million nationally for additional food purchases for emergency food providers through the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Commodities available through TEFAP have made up a declining share of the overall food our network is able to source to prevent hunger and hardship. This additional allocation will be critical to supplementing the continued support that foodbanks receive from retailers and manufacturers, generous local donors, farmers and food producers, and our partners at the State of Ohio.

The Congressional Budget Office said the cuts, particularly to Medicaid and SNAP, would create a 2% decrease in household income nationwide in 2027 for the 10% of Americans in the lowest income brackets, going to 4% by 2033. Households in the highest income brackets, however, could see raises.

The loss of SNAP funding, along with Medicaid, would reduce access to services that “are vital for everyday Ohioans in every Congressional district,” according to Joree Novotny, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks.

Novotny said the current proposal would shift nearly $500 million in SNAP costs per year onto the state of Ohio.

“That’s about the same as all the state general revenue spent to operate the entire Ohio Department of Job and Family Services each year,” Novotny said.

The food banks and other anti-hunger advocates are already asking the state to support bipartisan legislation that would create supplemental benefits for SNAP participants in Ohio.

Cuts to federal Medicaid spending that have been suggested in a draft budget that now sits in the U.S. House of Representatives would require an approximately 29% increase in state Medicaid spending per resident, should states try to make up the difference.

Last month, the Ohio Medicaid Matters Coalition — including the Ohio Hospital Association, Ohio Association of Foodbanks, Ohio State Medical Association and Ohio School-Based Health Alliance — asked Gov. Mike DeWine to be active in defending the state’s Medicaid benefits. At the time, they said Medicaid is a “critical driving force in fostering thriving communities,” while supporting the preservation of coverage for as many Ohioans as possible, according to a report by The Columbus Dispatch.

Necessary reductions in spending are never easy. Certainly doing things the way they have always been done isn’t going to change anything.

Joree Novotny, executive director, Ohio Association of Foodbanks, warned the bill will shift $500 million in annual SNAP costs to Ohio alone. “Hunger is a harsh reality for 1.8 million Ohioans. This includes children, seniors, veterans, and working families. Ohio’s foodbanks are doing everything they can, distributing more than 230 million meals last year, but we can’t fill the gap if SNAP is fundamentally changed in such a drastic way. Similarly, cuts to Medicaid will result in more impossible tradeoffs for families choosing between food, medicine, and medical care.”

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.