News & Updates

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Congressional Offices Tour Urban and Family Farms and Foodbank, Discuss Farm Bill Priorities

Partners from state and local agencies, Ohio foodbanks, and Ohio farmers highlight early success of Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program in Ohio, value of public-private partnerships, and importance of a Farm Bill rooted in food security

Ohio Association of Foodbanks executive director Lisa Hamler-Fugitt to retire after more than 20 years of leadership; Joree Novotny, long-tenured chief of staff, appointed as new executive director

The Ohio Association of Foodbanks is deeply grateful to Chairmen Rep. Jay Edwards and Sen. Matt Dolan and conference committee members for prioritizing hunger relief and food security in Sub. H.B. 33, the state’s two-year operating budget. We look forward to the passage of this biennial budget and to continuing our strong partnership with Governor DeWine and the State of Ohio to provide food and other resources to Ohioans in need.

Throughout the pandemic, people enrolled in SNAP received an average of $90 more per month. Those temporary benefits ended in February 2023. Mike Stanley, who lives in Northeast Ohio, is one of 1.5 million Ohioans who lost those extra SNAP benefits. The loss removed about $126 million worth of SNAP dollars that were available to Ohioans, according to the association.

Stanley, who uses a wheelchair and can’t easily work, used to get $200 a month. Now, he’s back to receiving $35 a month. He said he could stretch that out before, but high prices make it nearly impossible now.

Protesters gather at the Ohio Statehouse; demonstrate against state budget cuts to childcare, food banks, education, and healthcare.

"We've been calling for $50 million per year in the state budget to help us try to fill some of that gap for food insecure Ohioans," Novotny said. "We received $15 million in additional funding for a total of just shy of $40 million per year in funding in the Ohio house budget. However, the Senate stripped that additional funding out."

The Ohio Association of Foodbanks joined with about a dozen Black led food, nutrition, health, social service, and environmental organizations serving the state of Ohio to submit a letter to key members of the Congressional Black Caucus about shared Farm Bill priorities.

Ohio foodbanks conducted a survey of emergency food distribution visitors from April 14 to May 7, 2023. The survey was anonymous and included 2,087 validated responses from residents of 32.6% of all Ohio zip codes. These findings are representative of the experiences and challenges facing foodbank clients statewide.

Independent Economic Impact of FY 2022 Ohio Food Program, Agricultural Clearance Program, Summer Food, and CARES Act Programs

Prepared for the Ohio Association of Foodbanks by Dr. Howard Fleeter | March 17, 2023