Press Releases & Media Statements

On Monday, the association welcomed Congressman Troy Balderson to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, where he administered an oath of service to 65 new AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates. Thanks to a partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service, the association has deployed these national service members in communities across Ohio to help combat childhood hunger this summer. "It's inspiring to see our community organize to combat an issue which affects 1 in 5 students across Ohio: food insecurity," said Balderson. "I applaud those who today committed themselves to making a difference in our community."

Food insecurity for older adults age 50 to 59 in Ohio is a particular problem, with 15 percent struggling with food insecurity, ranking Ohio 9th nationally. More than four in 10 of those older adults are living with disabilities, and about half are not homeowners.

"This research clearly demonstrates the interconnectedness of food security and poverty-related issues," said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks. "When individuals reach their near-retirement and retirement years and are trying to survive on limited, fixed incomes without assets like their own home or retirement savings, there's nowhere else for them to turn."

According to Feeding America’s newly released Map the Meal Gap 2019, Ohio’s food insecurity rate of 14.5 percent is much higher than the national rate (12.5 percent) and the Midwestern average (11.4 percent). Food insecurity is higher among households with children. About 1 in 5 children in Ohio (19.6 percent) live in families that can’t always afford enough food on their own. In several rural counties (Monroe, Meigs, Adams, Vinton, Scioto and Guernsey), that rate is 1 in 4 or higher.

All Ohio SNAP recipients will receive half of their March SNAP benefits on February 22.They will receive the remainder of their March SNAP benefits on their normal issuance date, anywhere from March 2nd to March 20th. We’re grateful that the State of Ohio took this step to help lessen the impact of the federal government shutdown on food insecure Ohioans. Ohio’s foodbanks stand ready as partners with the State to fill nutrition gaps of every kind for the 1 in 3 Ohioans who live in households poor enough to qualify for help from our hunger relief network.

The individuals that would be impacted by this rule live in our communities. They are incredibly vulnerable, with limited skills and education and other barriers to employment. And now the Trump Administration is telling them they won't even be able to count on basic help with food. It's an incredibly Scrooge-like response to people down on their luck, and we will be urging the Administration not to move forward with this rule.

Despite an improving economy, 16.2 percent of households in Ohio reported that they struggled to buy enough food for themselves and their families during 2016–2017, according to a new report released by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC, a national anti-hunger advocacy group).