Press Releases & Media Statements

“The Ohio Association of Foodbanks, along with our 12 regional foodbanks and 3,600 member charities, extend our deepest appreciation to Ohio Governor DeWine, Ohio Senate President Huffman, Ohio House Speaker Cupp, Ohio Senate Finance Chairman Dolan, Ohio House Finance Chairman Oelslager, and members of the Ohio General Assembly for their leadership in providing $25 million in today’s year-end spending bill to help us address ongoing food hardship... with this appropriation, the State of Ohio and its elected leaders have told Ohioans that they believe food security is an essential ingredient for a strong and resilient workforce, thriving children and students, and an older generation that can age in place with dignity."

We thank Governor DeWine for being at the table with us to hear from Ohio foodbanks about the tremendous need and why we need bold action like today’s announcement to make sure hungry Ohioans have the healthy wholesome foods, like Ohio-produced beef, pork, cheese, milk, eggs, chicken, turkey, lamb and more, on their plates each day. Governor DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine have firmly demonstrated today that they will not allow Ohio’s kids, older adults, parents and caregivers, and workers to go without the balanced food they need to thrive.

Ohio Association of Foodbanks Joint Statement on USDA Response to Food Shortfalls, Opportunity for Ohio to Match: Ohio’s foodbank network is extremely grateful to the Biden-Harris administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for their announcement that they will provide nearly $1.5 billion in additional funding for emergency food assistance nationally, roughly $50 million of which will be used to direct food to Ohioans in need beginning in 2023. By matching this $50 million investment by USDA with $50 million in the State of Ohio’s ARPA funds, Governor DeWine and members of the Ohio General Assembly can ensure that the Ohioans hardest hit by the pandemic and ongoing economic uncertainty can count on us for the help they need in the future. Immediate ARPA funds will prevent a bleak holiday season, as well as help our network reinforce its storage and distribution capacity for the months ahead and support Ohio agriculture. We look forward to working with our state and federal partners to continue to keep our communities’ needs met.

"The Ohio Association of Foodbanks is proud to join Ohio elected officials and community leaders at the White House to kick off the Biden-Harris Administration’s Communities in Action series. This important conversation will focus on the investments the Administration has made in our communities and give us a chance to share our insights about how we can continue to partner together to leverage these historic investments on behalf of working families."

Ohio Association of Foodbanks Joint Statement on Critical Need for Support During Food Shortfalls, Hardship: We are calling on Governor DeWine and members of the Ohio General Assembly to act, with urgency, to help us prevent hunger now and promote stability in the months ahead.

Recently released data, including the USDA Household Food Security report and the U.S. Census Bureau’s Income and Poverty and Supplemental Poverty Measure reports, show that temporary relief measures and efforts by the public and charitable sectors implemented in 2020 helped to insulate many Americans from greater hardship. With pandemic unemployment compensation ended, and other relief measures like SNAP Emergency Allotments, expanded SNAP eligibility for income-eligible college students and the temporarily expanded Child Tax Credit set to expire, Ohio anti-hunger and anti-poverty organizations are urging Congress to make critical permanent investments in the nation’s social safety net.