The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank will kick off the 32nd annual Harvest for Hunger Campaign with a community breakfast on Feb. 28 at the John S. Knight Center in downtown Akron. Community members interested in learning more about the Campaign and how they can get involved are encouraged to attend. Tickets can be purchased at akroncantonfoodbank.org/rsvp.
The breakfast will highlight various ways guests can support local hunger relief. The event brings together organizations, businesses, faith-based organizations and food programs interested in rallying behind the cause of feeding people and fighting hunger. Resource kits will be available for guests ready to collect food and funds on behalf of the Foodbank.
Event attendees will hear from Foodbank President and CEO Dan Flowers, honorary Campaign Co-Chair Bernett L. Williams, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer; vice president for community initiatives at Akron Children’s Hospital and Amanda Montgomery, chair of the Foodbank’s board of directors. Campaign Co-Chair Mark Sterling is unable to attend, so his daughter Betsy Sterling, vice president of Beaver Excavating, will offer remarks alongside Williams.
This year’s Campaign goal is to provide the equivalent of 4.54 million meals for the communities served within the Foodbank’s eight-county service area, including $1.12 million and 100,000 pounds of food.
“As families grapple with increased costs for most basic necessities and a decrease in pandemic-related SNAP benefits, we anticipate the need for the Foodbank and our network of hunger-relief partners to increase in 2023,” said Dan Flowers, Foodbank president and CEO. “We will continue to serve Northeast Ohioans facing hunger but we need the community’s support. The Harvest for Hunger Campaign is a significant campaign for our food bank – so we hope the community rallies behind it.”
Harvest for Hunger is the Foodbank’s largest fundraising campaign and helps support food distribution all year long. Support and engagement from the community helps ensure families struggling with hunger have a place to turn during their time of need.
As many families continue to struggle with increased costs for fuel, groceries and other necessities, some must choose between buying groceries and paying for rent, utilities, childcare, medication and healthcare.
The Foodbank is asking the community to Say no to hunger. Help feed families. Help feed the future by refusing to let kids in Northeast Ohio be undernourished. Help ensure families aren’t forced to make difficult choices between necessities and nourishing food.
The Harvest for Hunger Campaign unites the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and the Second Harvest Food Banks of the Mahoning Valley and North Central Ohio. The four food banks in Northeast Ohio focus on fighting hunger across 21 counties in the region.
To reserve a ticket for the breakfast, please visit akroncantonfoodbank.org/rsvp. For more information on the Campaign, visit akroncantonfoodbank.org/harvest.