Media Coverage

Thousands of Ohioans relying on SNAP benefits to feed their families are finding their accounts drained due to electronic skimming fraud.

Criminals are installing devices at grocery store checkout terminals, stealing people's electronic benefits or EBT card information and wiping out funds.

Audrey Vanzant, director of communications for the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, said victims often do not realize it until it is too late.

"They're taking their account information and draining their accounts," Vanzant explained. "When that mother or that grandparent goes to swipe their benefit card, it's coming up that they have a zero dollar balance."

CINCINNATI — Food banks across Ohio are seeing a drastic increase in the number of people they serve. Kurt Reiber, President & CEO of Freestone Foodbank, said that increase is due to inflation.

“The inflationary pressures across the board in terms of not only food but in terms of housing cost, travel, you know transportation, the cost of gasoline,” Reiber said.

The Ohio Association of Foodbanks told us in 2024 they saw the highest number of people ever come through their food banks and pantries. So far in 2025, the trend is continuing.

“What we're seeing already this year, is that we’re seeing a 35% increase at our markets and across our entire 20-county service area,” Reiber said.

When prices go up, more people struggle to pay for food. That’s the lesson the last three years have taught the Southeast Ohio Foodbank.

Demand has been up significantly since food prices first surged in 2022. It went up again after pandemic-era SNAP allotments ended in 2023. Now, back-and-forth tariffs between the United States and its largest trading partners are threatening to cause another spike.

“Historically, as food prices increase, we see an increased need for assistance at the food bank and throughout our pantry partners,” said HAPCAP Development Director Eva Bloom.

The problem extends throughout Ohio, according to Ohio Association of Foodbanks Executive Director Joree Novotny.

“From July through December of 2024 — we served more individual food pantry visits in those six months than we ever had in any six-month period in our 35-year history,” Novotny said.

OHIO — A recent study from the Ohio Association of Foodbanks showed more than half of food pantry visitors were forced to choose between a meal or their medication. Local nonprofit leaders said things are about to get worse.

Gov. Mike DeWine recently announced a budget that reduced funding for food banks from around $32 million to around $24 million. His proposal is less than $7.5 million from the previous one, but the governor said that the money they received in previous years was only temporary.

“We really are a critical part of community infrastructure, so by funding food and making sure it’s on the shelves, we’re bringing people in and providing a whole host of wrap around services as well. So I think it’s a win-win-win for everyone involved so we’re looking forward to working with the state of Ohio to restore these cuts and find additional support,” Ohio Association of Food Banks Executive Director Joree Novotny said.