National Hunger Awareness Day, June 5th, 2003
Foodbank request up 18% in 2003
A collaborative, coordinated effort between the public sector, private corporations and foundations and individuals is essential to addressing Ohio’s hunger problem, according to leaders of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks (OASHF) and Larry Householder (R-Glenford), Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives.
Speaker Householder joined OASHF Executive Director Lisa Hamler-Podolski and directors of three Ohio foodbanks to mark National Hunger Awareness Day, which highlights the ongoing needs of hunger relief organizations across the United States.
"What we're seeing in Ohio is a growing crisis," Speaker Householder said. "Local food banks and food pantries are seeing increased needs in their communities. No single step will end hunger in Ohio, but each step in that direction - including increased funding in the state budget and volunteering with a local food pantry - will take us closer to that goal."
OASHF is Ohio’s largest charitable food assistance network, with 12 Second Harvest foodbanks located across the state. In 2002, OASHF’s foodbanks distributed more than 81.6 million pounds of food and grocery items to 3,000 member agencies, including soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters, and other similar groups.
Hamler-Podolski said that OASHF in 2002 distributed food and grocery items to almost 4.5 million low-income Ohioans in 1.9 million households (numbers represent multiple visits by some individuals). More than 42 percent of those served were children, and nearly all households had incomes below the poverty level.
“The hunger situation in Ohio continues to worsen as Ohio’s economy struggles to recover,” said Hamler-Podolski. “Increasing unemployment rates and expiring unemployment benefits is creating much longer lines at food pantries and soup kitchens throughout the state.”
In the first quarter of 2003, OASHF estimates that there has been an 18 percent increase in the number of Ohioans served by the state’s foodbanks when compared to similar data from first quarter 2002. For the same time period, there has been a 6.6 percent increase in the number of Ohio households served. According to OASHF, many hungry Ohioans are among the “working poor,” with almost half of those served living in a household with at least one working adult.
Hamler-Podolski said that Ohio’s food banks are suffering from the economic downturn as well – with many operating at very low inventory levels and experiencing significant growth in client demand for food – and 44 percent of all food programs have been forced to ration or limit food to be able to provide food to all clients in the past year. Representing local foodbanks were Bob Garbo of the Hocking, Athens, Perry Community Action Agency; Mike Iberis of the Second Harvest Foodbank of the Mahoning Valley (Youngstown) and Dan Flowers of the Akron/Canton Regional Foodbank.
In the fiscal year 2004-05 budget, the Ohio House increased funding to help in the fight against hunger, providing $4.5 million in each of the next two years.
To date, the 2002-03 state funding has provided more than 23 million pounds of food to OASHF foodbanks and their member agencies. Food distributed is made available through two cost-effective programs – the Ohio Food Program (OFP) and the Ohio Agricultural Clearance Program (OACP).
OFP funding allows OASHF to maximize bulk-buying power for shelf-stable, high-protein foods such as peanut butter, tuna fish, ground meats, and cereals. By purchasing at wholesale prices, OASHF has secured a three-to-one ratio for every dollar spent on the program.
OACP is a unique program that is being replicated in other states. It allows OASHF to purchase surplus agriculture products from Ohio farmers. The program reimburses farmers for the cost to pick, produce, process, pack and transport fresh, nutritious Ohio products like eggs, apples, chicken and various produce items. Surplus pricing for these products has allowed OASHF to secure a four-to-one ratio for every dollar spent on the program, when compared to retail prices.
While OASHF has strategically leveraged funds received from the state of Ohio, the state’s 12 foodbanks still struggle to keep member agencies’ shelves stocked. The tight economy has significantly reduced contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations. Local food and fundraising efforts are below last year’s levels. In addition, corporate food donations are decreasing as manufacturers, processors and retailers work to make improvements that reduce cost and waste, thus eliminating surplus and over-runs that often were provided to food banks.
"Speaker Householder has long been active in the fight against hunger, including his work as a Perry County commissioner and chairman of Tri-County Community Action Agency, when he helped establish a regional food bank in Logan.
Speaker Householder's grandfather was a farmer and rural route carrier in Perry County during the Great Depression, and often helped provide food to the needy. Speaker Householder said this is one example of how every Ohioan can make a difference, whether it's volunteering at a local food pantry or participating in other activities to make a difference in the fight against hunger.
“The problem of hunger in Ohio is real, but the means are there through a shared commitment by all Ohioans to making sure no family in our state struggles to put food on the table,” said Hamler-Podolski. “Speaker Householder has demonstrated his leadership and dedication to this issue, and we are hopeful that Ohio citizens, corporations and others will follow his lead in helping Ohio respond.”
Press Statement from Lisa Hamler-Podolski, Executive Director
Good afternoon and thank you for attending. I’d like to take a moment to thank you Mr. Speaker for participating in this press conference and for your leadership to help raise awareness of the severe hunger crisis that is growing in our state and nation. We are joined here today by represents from three of our local foodbanks including Bob Garbo of the Hocking, Athens, Perry Community Action Agency; Mike Iberis of the Second Harvest Foodbank of the Mahoning Valley (Youngstown) and Dan Flowers of the Akron/Canton Regional Foodbank.
The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks and our 3,000 non-profit and faith-based member charities are so grateful and appreciative of Speaker Householder’s assistance in helping to support our efforts.
During 2002 our network distributed more than 81 million pounds of food and grocery items to almost four and a half million low-income Ohioans in nearly two million households (numbers represent multiple visits by some individuals). More than 42 percent of those served were children, and nearly all households (96 percent) had incomes below the poverty level.
Today is National Hunger Awareness Day, a public awareness initiative lead by America’s Second Harvest, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization, to help inform individuals and communities that – hunger – especially childhood hunger – is a severe issue, but a solvable one. Today, across Ohio and the nation, thousands of foodbanks, soup kitchens, food pantries, schools, charities, elected officials, public and private organizations, corporations and business, school children and concerned citizens are gathering help to raise awareness about this growing epidemic. Today in Ohio, one out of every four people in a soup kitchen line is a child.
During this difficult budget, Speaker Householder and the members of the 125th General Assembly on a bi-partisan basis have held firm in their commitment to protect funding for hunger relief programs. Thank you for your commitment to help us feed a growing number of hungry Ohioans by supporting our efficient and cost-effective programs. I believe that we both agree, Mr. Speaker, that more must be done. Clearly, it must be a concerted effort using a wide range of resources – both public and private – in a collaborative, coordinated effort between the public sector, private corporations and foundations and individuals.
As the hunger situation in Ohio continues to worsen and as Ohio’s economy struggles to recover, increasing unemployment rates and expiring unemployment benefits are creating much longer lines at food pantries and soup kitchens throughout the state. In the first quarter of 2003, OASHF estimates that there has been an 18.3 percent increase in the number of Ohioans served by the state’s foodbanks when compared to similar data from first quarter 2002. For the same time period, there has been a 6.6 percent increase in the number of Ohio households served. We know many hungry Ohioans are among the “working poor,” with almost half (42 percent) of those served living in a household with at least one working adult.
A growing number of senior citizens who are living on low fixed incomes are being forced to make difficult decisions, between food and other basic needs, relying instead on food pantries and soup kitchens in increasing numbers.
In addition, as summer approaches and school ends, so will the free and reduced price school breakfast and lunch programs that so many of Ohio’s low-income families rely on to help feed their children, leaving more than a half- million children statewide to face a summer where access to the food they need is uncertain. Recent research indicates that even mild under-nutrition experienced by young children during critical periods of growth may lead to reductions in physical growth and affect brain development. In fact, this summer, the federally funded Summer Food Service Program for Children will reach only about 14 out of every 100 children served by school lunch programs in Ohio.
These statistics illustrate the crucial role that hunger relief efforts play in Ohio. Sadly, the need is greatest at a time when Ohio’s food banks are suffering from the economic downturn as well – with many operating at very low inventory levels and experiencing significant growth in client demand for food – and 44 percent of all food programs have been forced to ration or limit food to be able to provide food to all clients in the past year.
The instability of our economy and rising unemployment has contributed to a new phenomenon – last year’s food bank donors are this year’s food bank clients, highlighting the need for comprehensive solutions. In addition, corporate food donations have decreased by 38 percent in the past two years as food manufacturers, processors and retailers have made improvements that reduced cost and waste, eliminating surplus and over-runs that were previously donated to food banks. Local community and workplace food and fund drives are struggling to meet their campaign goals. In addition, individual, corporation and foundation support has declined by almost 20 percent.
Protecting state funding for emergency food assistance programs is a good investment that helps ensure hungry Ohioans who are struggling to make ends meet receive the food they need. To date, the 2002-03 state funding has provided more than 23 million pounds of food to OASHF foodbanks and their member agencies. Food distributed is made available through two cost-effective programs – the Ohio Food Program (OFP) and the Ohio Agricultural Clearance Program (OACP). OFP funding allows OASHF to maximize bulk-buying power for shelf-stable, high-protein foods such as peanut butter, tuna fish, ground meats, and cereals. By purchasing at wholesale prices, OASHF has secured a three-to-one ratio for every dollar spent on the program.
OACP is a unique program that is being replicated in other states. It allows OASHF to purchase surplus agriculture products from Ohio farmers. The program reimburses farmers for the cost to pick, produce, process, pack and transport fresh, nutritious Ohio products like eggs, apples, chicken and various produce items. Surplus pricing for these products has allowed OASHF to secure a four-to-one ratio for every dollar spent on the program, when compared to retail prices. While OASHF has strategically leveraged funds received from the state of Ohio, Speaker Householder is right, that is not enough. It will take a concerted effort on the part of everyone with a stake in feeding Ohio’s families to begin to solve this problem.
That’s why we are here today with Speaker Householder – to urge our fellow Ohioans to get involved, however they are able. There are numerous ways to do that:
Including volunteering at a local foodbank, food pantry or soup kitchen;
Collecting donated food and grocery items at schools and places of employment;
Holding local food drives with civic and social organizations; or
Providing financial support to help foodbanks make additional food purchases needed to help fill the gap.