The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank welcomed nearly 150 community members to an open house on Thursday at its new Wayne County Campus. The Foodbank was eager to greet guests and community partners as the newest neighbor in Orrville.
The campus was made possible by a donation from The J.M. Smucker Co. Smucker donated its retail store and 30+ acres of surrounding land to the Foodbank last fall, marking the largest gift in the Foodbank’s history.
Guests had the opportunity to tour the facility, offer feedback for the facility’s future use and learn more about the Foodbank’s work in Wayne County. The Foodbank has been serving Wayne County for the past 30 years through its partnership with 38 hunger-relief partners in the area. In 2025, the Foodbank and these partners distributed more than 1.7 million pounds of food to the county, a 22% increase over the prior year.
The Foodbank will implement a phased approach to utilizing the facility, allowing community input to inform future plans. The facility will open this summer for phase one activities that may include volunteer opportunities for the community, food order pickup for hunger-relief partners rather than commuting to Canton or Akron, receiving food donations, overflow food storage, and community events and meetings.
“We are thrilled and humbled by this astounding gift from The J.M. Smucker Co.,” said Dan Flowers, president and CEO of the Foodbank. “Phase one operations will begin this summer, as we initiate immediate ways to drive impact for the greater Wayne County area — creating volunteer opportunities, making it easier for partners to pick up food closer to home and increasing our capacity to receive and store donations. At the same time, we’re inviting the community to help shape what comes next, so this facility truly reflects local needs and strengthens hunger-relief efforts across the county.”
Phase two of the project will also be informed by community feedback and determined in conjunction with the Foodbank’s current strategic planning process. Ideas shared by the community include an onsite pantry, a home delivery program, a farm or community garden, nutrition education classes and a resource hub offering wraparound support services for community members.
To date, the Foodbank has met with key county stakeholders, hosted a town hall meeting for Wayne County hunger-relief partners that are part of the Foodbank’s network, and has distributed a survey to residents and community partners to solicit ideas to help shape the vision for the facility.
For more information on the Foodbank and its work, visit akroncantonfoodbank.org.
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