This September, the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, together with 200 Feeding America food banks nationwide, will mobilize across all 50 states in an effort to raise awareness about hunger.
Locally, the Foodbank, in conjunction with the Ohio Association of Food Banks and 11 other Ohio food banks, continues to push a request to the state for $50 million in emergency funds for food and personal care items. Inflation, supply chain issues and less available food from federal programs have made it difficult for food banks to respond to the need for food for local families.
The Foodbank is encouraging the community to contact state legislators to ask Ohio house and senate leadership to act on the funding request. To find a list of state legislators and view sample verbiage, visit akroncantonfoodbank.org/HAM.
In the Foodbank’s eight-county service area, an estimated 1 in 7 individuals and 1 in 6 children may be food insecure. Families, who have already been working to overcome the hardships caused by the pandemic, are now faced with a 10% increase to buy groceries due to the highest inflation rate in 40 years. The number of people visiting food pantries is up 11% compared to last year, and 19% of the families visiting pantries are new, meaning they’ve never visited a food program before.
For many, a daily meal is a simple choice of what to eat. But for people facing hunger, a daily meal poses a very different type of choice. It's often an impossible choice between food and other crucial needs, such as electricity, childcare or medicine.
“Food shouldn’t be an impossible choice,” said Foodbank President and CEO Dan Flowers. “Access to safe and nourishing food is a basic human right, and yet, so many families in our region make impossible choices every day. Your Foodbank is here to help eliminate those choices. Because of the community’s support, the Foodbank and its network of hunger-relief partners can provide groceries and access to meals for individuals facing hunger.”
Hunger Action Month activities:
• HUNGER ACTION DAY – On Sept. 23, wear orange, the color of hunger relief. Snap a photo to share on social media using #acrfb and #HungerActionMonth.
• VOLUNTEER – Visit akroncantonfoodbank.org/volunteer to learn about volunteer opportunities.
• ADVOCATE – The Foodbank needs your help throughout the year as it advocates for important policy issues that impact people facing hunger. Visit akroncantonfoodbank.org/advocate to sign up for action alerts.
• MAKE A DONATION – $1 can help provide enough food 4 meals.
Volunteer. Engage. Advocate. Donate. Everyone has a role to play in fighting hunger. Take action today by joining your Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank at akroncantonfoodbank.org/HAM or 330.535.6900.