The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank celebrated the culmination of the 34th annual Harvest for Hunger Campaign yesterday. Because of the community’s generosity, donated food and funds will help provide as many as 4.5 million meals for the region.
The Foodbank celebrated the campaign’s success in a new way this year – taking its gratitude on the road with a thankful caravan! Foodbank leaders took a shuttle bus to visit and thank nearly a dozen organizations for making a difference in the local fight against hunger.
“The Harvest for Hunger Campaign is a community-led effort to fight hunger in our region. Every pancake breakfast and PTO raffle contributes to the campaign’s success,” said Foodbank President and CEO Dan Flowers. “We realized that a company can’t bring its entire staff to our celebration reception, so we decided to take the celebration on the road! We want everyone who contributed to this campaign, whether big or small, to feel the love and appreciation we have for them.”
Foodbank staff were greeted by employees who championed fundraising efforts for the campaign at their organization. Foodbankers celebrated their contributions by showering them with treats, tchotchkes and a heartfelt thank you for their impact on the community.
The Foodbank traveled across Summit and Stark counties to Cleveland Clinic Akron General, Akron Children’s Hospital, Giant Eagle, SARTA and more. A special thanks to TL Worldwide Transportation for shuttling staff across the region for the day.
During the visit with Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro, Shapiro and her team gathered in a court room where they cheered for the campaign’s success, and offered thoughtful words of encouragement to Foodbank staff.
As the need for help with groceries remains elevated, and the Foodbank grapples with reduced funding from both state and federal sources, the Harvest for Hunger Campaign will significantly help the organization’s ability to provide food for the region.
The campaign is the largest annual fundraising effort for the Foodbank and helps support food distribution all year long. Nearly 100 businesses, schools and faith-based organizations came together to collect food and funds on behalf of the Foodbank. Additionally, thousands of people made donations during checkout at their local Buehler's Fresh Foods, Dave's Market, Giant Eagle, GetGo gas station or Heinen's Grocery Store.
The Harvest for Hunger Campaign is a joint effort of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Greater Cleveland Foodbank, Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley and Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio. This annual fundraising campaign focuses on fighting hunger across 21 counties in Northeast Ohio.
For more information about supporting hunger-relief efforts, please visit akroncantonfoodbank.org or call 330.535.6900.