Ohio Pork Farmers Donate to Those in Need

"We are so thankful for our state's selfless network of pork farmers and their want to donate pork to those in need. Their desire to be part of the solution to Ohio's growing hunger epidemic could not come at a better time," said OASHF Executive Director Lisa Hamler-Fugitt.

During the 2011 Easter season, the Ohio Pork Producers Council (OPPC) is excited to donate more than 12,000 pounds of highly nutritious, protein-packed pork products to Ohio's emergency food assistance network.

"Ohio's pork farmers hope to provide 500,000 meals to Ohioans in need through the Pork Power program," said Dick Isler, Executive Vice President of OPPC. "This compassion is rooted in the direct connection and relationships pork farmers have with their communities."

OASHF and its 12 regional Feeding America foodbanks are thankful for the generosity of Ohio's network of pork farmers! Read the full press release here:

ServeOhio Award recognizes National Service members

Congratulations to our SHARECorps and HarvestCorps members! Our National Service programs were honored on Thursday with the 2011 ServeOhio Award for "Outstanding National Service Program" from the Ohio Community Service Council. Hear about why our program was selected here:

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Free Tax Assistance through The Ohio Benefit Bank

No Food to Spare: Foodbanks Featured in Columbus Dispatch

"With the economy still struggling, many Ohio families find themselves in a similar position while trying to put together holiday meals.

The Mid-Ohio Foodbank plans to help about 15,000 of them.

By Friday, the food bank is to have shipped 2 million pounds of food to about 500 pantries and other distributors across its 20-county service area. The holiday program produces boxes that each hold enough food to feed a four-person family for three or four days, said spokesman Colin Baumgartner. "It obviously keeps our trucks very busy."

The program is in its second year and accounts for a lot of the bank's annual distribution, which should reach 40 million pounds this year, Baumgartner said.

That's a 4 million-pound jump over last year and a sign of the rising demand that food banks throughout the state are working to manage, he said, adding that distribution by Mid-Ohio is up 44 percent over four years ago. The Cleveland Foodbank has provided 50percent more food during the past two years. As of Nov.30, Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank had distributed 38 percent more food than in the first 11 months of last year."

Read the full article from The Columbus Dispatch.

Announcing our Photo Contest Winner!

Congratulations to Trillium Family Solutions!

SHARECorps member Stephanie Soduk and HarvestCorps member Brent Sigley, along with staff at their site Trillium Family Solutions, were the winners in our Making a Difference Photo Contest!

For Make a Difference Day 2010, staff and AmeriCorps members at Trillium Family Solutions celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Ways to Work loan program. To celebrate they invited community members, staff, clients, and other AmeriCorps members to an event benefiting The Domestic Violence Project, Inc. They received a great deal of support from businesses around the community, including Quaker Steak and Lube, Subway, First Merit Bank, and many others. Trillium partnered was able to collect a large box of hygiene products and cash donations for The Domestic Violence Project. The event was a great success because Trillium was able to support a great cause while celebrating the difference one of its programs makes in the lives of its clients all year long.

Thanks to all members who submitted photos from their Make a Difference Day projects! We are truly thankful for all that you do to make your communities a better place for all of us. Keep up the great work!