Ohio's Largest Charitable Response to Hunger

 

THIS MAY BE OUR LAST STAND!

The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks may close if you do not act now! Now it is critical that we band together and contact elected officials and have your voices heard! Put a face to the problem.

The request: "Our humble and modest request is $1 per person per month served through the emergency food assistance network in Ohio."

Now is the time to contact the Leadership of Ohio and tell them how the cuts to health and human services will effect you personally. Contact your local newspaper's - put a face on how these cuts will hurt those who simply can not afford them.

Demand for emergency food assistance has increased by nearly 30 percent, food costs are up by 26 percent and the demand for emergency food assistance is skyrocketing as more Ohioans turn to food pantries and soup kitchens everyday to try and feed themselves and their families.

As the recession in Ohio deepens– we are asking for your leadership and support to ensure that BASIC FOOD NEEDS are of the highest priority in this budget. Please provide sufficient funding to meet our modest and humble request and provide just one dollar per person, per month, served by the emergency assistance network.

By putting a local face to the difficult decisions Ohioans make daily and how the budget cuts will directly effect you, your family and your community, you will make Ohio's elected officials aware of just how critical these programs are!

Who to Contact:

SENATE LEADERS AND CONFEREES
When faxing the Senate please send one email per Senator.
President Bill Harris
614-466-8086 (P) - 614-466-7662 (F)
SD19@senate.state.oh.us
The Honorable Senator Tom Niehaus
President Pro Tempore
614-466-8082 (P) - 614-466-7662 (F)
SD14@senate.state.oh.us 
The Honorable Senator Capri Cafaro
Minority Leader
614-466-7182 (P) - 614-466-7662 (F)
senatorcafaro@maild.sen.state.oh.us
The Honorable Senator Shirley Smith
Assistant Minority Leader
614-466-4857 (P) - 614-466-7662 (F)
senatorsmith@maild.sen.state.oh.us
The Honorable Senator John Carey
614-466-8156 (P) - 614-466-7662 (F)
SD17@senate.state.oh.us
The Honorable Senator Dale Miller
614-466-5123 (P) - 614-466-7662 (F)
SD23@maild.sen.state.oh.us
The Honorable Senator Mark Wagoner
614-466-8060 (P) - 614-466-7662 (F)
SD02@senate.state.oh.us

HOUSE LEADERS AND CONFEREES
Speaker of the House Armond Budish
614-466-5441 (P) - 614-719-0008 (F)
district08@ohr.state.oh.us 
The Honorable Representative Matt Szollosi
Speaker Pro Tempore
614-466-1418 (P) - 614-719-6949 (F)
district49@ohr.state.oh.us
The Honorable Representative William Batchhelder
Minority Leader
614-466-8140 (P) - 614-719-3969 (F)
district69@ohr.state.oh.us
The Honorable Representative Louis Blessing
Assistant Minority Leader
614-466-9091 (P) - 614-719-3583 (F)
district29@ohr.state.oh.us 
The Honorable Representative Vernon Sykes
614-466-3100 (P) - 614-719-6944 (F)
district44@ohr.state.oh.us
The Honorable Representative Ron Amstutz
614-466-1474 (P) - 614-719-0003 (F)
district03@ohr.state.oh.us
The Honorable Representative Jay Goyal
614-466-5802 (P) - 614-719-3973 (F)
district73@ohr.state.oh.us

Governor Ted Strickland 
614-644-3555 (P) - 614-466-9354 (F)
http://governor.ohio.gov/Contact/tabid/153/Default.aspx

 

YOU MUST ACT NOW!!!!

Ask every person you know to join you TODAY by picking up their telephone or sending an email to the Governor and members of the Senate/House Conference Committee (left) as well as your Senator or House member:

Express gratitude for any pervious support

Ask for fully funding the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks at $17 million per year, $34 million over the biennial, serving over 1.8 million children, seniors and individuals, the poorest among us who desperately need these services in order to survive.

Warn them that cuts to the County Department of Job and Family Services will cripple intake and maintenance for an increasing number of Ohioans requiring essential services.

Request attention to other vital services for which you have a special affinity and which impact the most vulnerable Ohioans - physical and mental health car, education, children's services, elderly support, etc.

Urge them to reconsider other sources of revenues. Argue that Ohio's looming budget shortfall is too big to address by cutting services alone not to explore tax reductions, freezes, delays and selective increases.

Encourage them to FINISH THEIR JOB NOW and complete the budget by july 1. Not to delay by passing a short term budget lasting only a month or two. An interim budget will only complicate things. It will mean using our limited additional revenue inappropriately as well as diminishing the time available to implement any cuts in state programs that will be made thus making them more severe.

OASHF Web Site