Hard Facts in Northeast Ohio

In Summit County, home to the city of Akron and the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, our friends at the Job and Family Services office are taking steps to respond to the ever-growing crisis in the communities they serve.

Read more about those steps and what they mean to Summit County residents.

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer: In Cuyahoga County, the number of households receiving some form of public assistance has hit 160,000 and continues to grow by about 1,000 per month, said Joseph Gauntner, director of the Employment and Family Services agency.

A broader geographic measure comes from the Cleveland Foodbank, which serves Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Astabula, Ashland and Richland counties.
The agency is on track to distribute more than 32 million pounds of food in the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30, an increase of 50 percent from two years ago.

Read the whole story, which highlights findings about health insurance from the recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

"Front Lines in the Recession-Wracked Economy"

A recent editorial by the Cincinnati Enquirer highlights the need to support those social service agencies, like OASHF and its member foodbanks, that are on the front lines during these tough economic times.

Clearly, a lot of families are struggling in our community with job loss, underemployment and other effects of the current recession. All this is putting great pressure on our region's social service agencies. Those agencies need our support more than ever to help keep families stable in difficult economic times.

Read the full editorial, which highlights the Freestore Foodbank and its mission to fight hunger.

Operation YP to host "2010 Hunger Summit"

"In conjunction with the Mid-Ohio Foodbank’s 30th Anniversary and Hunger Action Month, Operation YP presents the 2010 Hunger Summit to be held on Wednesday, September 29, at Mid-Ohio Foodbank. This is an opportunity for community members of all ages and backgrounds to explore the issue of hunger, make a meaningful contribution to how the community responds to hunger, provide useful feedback for organizations involved in hunger-related work, and learn about ways to take action and make a difference, both personally and professionally."

The Mid-Ohio Foodbank is one of 12 OASHF member Foodbanks across the state. Find the OASHF member Foodbank serving your county!