Press Releases & Media Statements

“With the first federal paychecks missed and the shutdown stretching into a third week, Ohio’s foodbanks and local hunger relief partners are working hard to respond to gaps that federal workers are facing. At the same time, we are focused on remaining available to the tens of thousands of Ohioans that turn to our network for help each day when they face budget shortfalls.

“Foodbanks have existed for more than five decades to help families and those in need respond to food shortages. In times of economic disruption and natural disasters, foodbanks serve as key public-private partners working with local food pantries and meal programs to keep food on the table and households stable. As we navigate this shutdown day by day, we continue to communicate with our state agency partners to better understand the impact government-funded assistance programs may face if the shutdown is prolonged. While we stand ready to assist those affected, our resources are already stretched thin, with an average of 1.4 million Ohioans visiting our food pantries each month, and a prolonged shutdown will add strain on our network.

“We are counting on our donors, supporters and communities to step up in any way they can as our network continues its response. This situation underscores the vital role of public-private partnerships in supporting working families. Our partnerships with the USDA and the State of Ohio help support farmers and producers when they face market challenges, while also ensuring Ohio families are nourished. We maximize those partnerships through the power of charitable and corporate giving and local volunteerism. The collective generosity of Ohioans in this moment is essential in supporting our mission — not only in this shutdown season, but as we approach the winter months and holiday season ahead.”

“The passage of the budget reconciliation bill will weaken access to wholesome food and reliable health care for many Ohio families. It includes fundamental, structural and sweeping changes to the nation’s primary food assistance program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). These changes will be implemented at different intervals over the next three fiscal years and create ongoing uncertainty for communities facing food budget shortfalls and economic instability.

“Our network of 12 regional foodbanks and their 3,600 faith-based and charitable partners remain committed to doing as much as we can to stand side-by-side with children, parents, workers, seniors, and disabled Ohioans striving to keep healthy food on the table. We continue to be motivated to stretch resources in partnership with farmers, manufacturers, retailers, local, state, and federal government agencies and policymakers, and countless donors and volunteers.

“The promise of adequate, nourishing food helps families to think beyond meeting today’s basic needs and focus on pursuing brighter futures. Our resolve to ensure that promise is met across Ohio remains strong, and we will continue to call on our communities to link arms with us so that we can ensure no one in our great state goes hungry.”

The U.S. Senate has passed a version of the reconciliation bill that includes a 20% cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), totaling more than $180 billion through 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Food insecurity advocates said they are extremely concerned. The proposed cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act would affect more than 40 million people nationwide.

In Ohio, experts project the change would create a gap the state can’t afford.

“Ohio would be responsible for nearly $400 million each year in new spending just to maintain what are already inadequate benefits for primarily children, seniors, disabled Ohioans and working families,” said Joree Novotny, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks.

“Everyone deserves access to fresh, nutritious food and affordable health care, yet hunger and hardship persist in every corner of Ohio and every congressional district in America. The reconciliation bill passed by the U.S. Senate today would significantly reduce federal investments in SNAP and Medicaid, transferring more financial responsibility to state governments at a time when state budgets are already strained and undermining help with affording food and health care when both are already too expensive for families.

“For the first time, this legislation would require states to pay for a significant share of the cost of SNAP benefits. Based on error rates released yesterday by USDA, the State of Ohio would be responsible for nearly $400 million in new SNAP costs annually under this proposal. With state budgets already stretched thin, this would force local policymakers to make painful decisions and leave more families without the support that helps communities thrive. It would put SNAP benefits at risk for every vulnerable, eligible person.

“This bill forces Ohio to either identify hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue, eliminate hundreds of millions of dollars in other critical public services, or risk reduction or elimination of SNAP benefits for every vulnerable Ohioan. In Ohio, there are nearly 10,000 SNAP retailers – all of whom will be impacted by SNAP cuts in this bill, especially those in rural communities. It would also jeopardize funding that helps keep hospitals, particularly in rural areas, financially stable and accessible for families who rely on them. These programs work together to promote health, reduce emergency room visits, support child wellness, and sustain communities, saving taxpayer dollars in the long run.

“Ohio’s foodbanks are proud of our important role in preventing hunger, promoting access to healthy food, reducing food waste, leading food as medicine work, and supporting families and seniors when they face budget shortfalls. Through partnership with individual donors, corporations, food manufacturers, farmers, grocers and retailers, and local, state, and federal governments, and thanks to the generous efforts of thousands of steadfast volunteers, social service organizations, and faith-based charities, we continue to work harder every day to prevent hunger for Ohioans in need.

“But though we do a whole lot with a little every day, we are not equipped to fill the gaps that these fundamental, structural changes and cuts would create for children, seniors, veterans, disabled Ohioans, and working families. We urge the U.S. House of Representatives to reject this bill because of the strain it will create on state budgets and the harm it will cause for Ohio families already struggling to meet their basic needs.”

"We are grateful to Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Tressel, and the Ohio General Assembly for their continued commitment to Ohio’s hunger relief network in the biennial state budget. Their $24.55 million per year investment in our state food purchase programs is a lifeline for the 3,600 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters serving families in every corner of our state. It will help keep shelves filled with Ohio-grown, Ohio-produced foods to nourish our neighbors while supporting local farmers, jobs, and communities.
“At a time when need remains high and resources are stretched thin, this partnership makes a real difference in the lives of children, older adults, veterans, and working families across Ohio. Access to food helps Ohio households avoid harmful tradeoffs and focus on learning at school, earning at work, and aging in place safely.
“More work to prevent hunger and hardship remains on the horizon. Other sources of food for food pantry shelves are also in decline. Federal reconciliation, if passed, could cut food assistance and health care coverage for countless Ohio families and shift $400 million in food assistance costs each year to the State of Ohio. Ohio’s charitable hunger relief network is already strained and we will not be able to fill the gaps this will create in access to food assistance on our own.
“We are thankful for this continued partnership and remain committed to working alongside the DeWine-Tressel Administration, the General Assembly, and our local partners to protect and provide healthy, accessible food for every Ohioan who needs it.”

More than 230 local and statewide organizations, companies, associations, unions, and provider networks urge Senators Husted and Moreno to reject structural changes and cuts to SNAP in budget reconciliation.