At The Salvation Army Summit County, the doors open each day with a simple mission: make sure no one in the community goes without food. The Salvation Army has operated a food pantry in Summit County since 1971 and was one of the first hunger-relief partners of the Foodbank.
Staff at The Salvation Army stay busy. They serve hot lunches on weekdays at multiple locations, host a monthly drive-thru food distribution, and, in partnership with The University of Akron, offer a monthly walk-up distribution for students and community members. Neighbors can access food pantries once per month by appointment in Akron and Barberton and emergency food boxes are also available.
In addition to shelf-stable groceries, families can receive hygiene packages, diapers and even pet food. The program serves more than 900 individuals per week through its pantry, meal sites and other food programs.
“Hunger is a real thing people struggle with every day,” says Shawna, social services ministries coordinator.
“People who have never had to ask for help before are coming through our doors. The economy is hard right now, and we just want people to know we’re here.”
Shawna has witnessed how rising costs and stagnant wages are reshaping hunger in the community. More working families are struggling to afford groceries, college students are seeking assistance, and parents are forced to choose between paying bills and buying healthy food.
“There are families who just can’t put a full meal on the table,” she says. “The healthy stuff is expensive. If we can provide that, and it means kids can have a snack after school, that matters.”
For Shawna, the work is deeply personal. She experienced food insecurity as a child, growing up in a household that relied on food stamps, pantries and church support.
“We were surviving off pantries and agencies,” she recalls. “So now, if I can help one person who’s struggling like I was, that means everything.”
Supporting this work is a long-standing partnership with the Foodbank — a relationship Shawna calls essential. Without it, Shawna says, their ability to serve the community would look very different.
“We wouldn’t be able to support people the way we are now without the Foodbank,” she says. “Being able to go to one central place to get what we need is a tremendous help, especially since we don’t always have the staff capacity.”
For Shawna, the motivation is simple. “The need is always going to be there,” she says. “I don’t want other families or kids to suffer the way I did. If we can ease that burden, even a little, it’s worth it.”