A Note from Julie

With the start of a new year, I thought it was a good time to remind us all of who we help and why. Last year, we served 119,000 unduplicated individuals who all have a unique story to tell. On the next page, we have messages from neighbors at our Willard distribution that share why they are in line.

To be eligible to receive our food, a household must be living at 200% of the federal poverty level or less. To put this into perspective, a single mother with one child would have to make more than $18 per hour working full-time to be above the federal poverty level. The minimum wage in Ohio is $10.10 per hour.

Everyone deserves to have enough food to thrive, and we are working hard to meet the increasing need.

This is why our Harvest for Hunger campaign is so important. This annual food and funds drive, with your support, allows us to replenish food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters across our four counties.

Our New Year’s Resolution is to increase our reach even further. Together, as this new year unfolds, we will create pathways to nutritious foods and a bright future for all.