Dear Editor,

As our elected lawmakers work out Ohio’s next two-year budget, they are considering cutting funding to pantries and food banks helping our hungry neighbors. Real Ohioans are struggling and now is not the time to cut state support for food banks and take meals off people’s tables.

The need for food assistance in Mid-Ohio Food Collective’s 20-county service area – including Belmont – rose by 38% from 2022 to 2024. Last year was the busiest ever in our 45-year history. How can that be? Simply put, we are still living with the economy of the past few years. Wages rose after the pandemic, but voters are still dealing with inflation. Rent, utilities, and medicine cost more. The prices of groceries, eggs, and meat have gone up. We hope things will improve soon, but we know families are hurting now.

In the face of all those challenges, Ohioans are working harder than ever. We meet caregivers every day who are working full-time. Many have multiple jobs. And for seniors, veterans, and disabled people, working may not be an option. In 2024, three out of four households we helped included at least one child or senior.

Now is the time for Ohioans to look out for each other, especially with the federal government considering rolling back national food programs. Please join me and Ohio’s hunger relief network in asking our state lawmakers to do their part and restore support for the food banks that have our neighbors’ backs.

Matt Habash,

President/CEO

Mid-Ohio Food

Collective

Grove City, Ohio