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The issue: Hunger in Ohio
Our view: Local, state efforts will help to alleviate worsening problem
It remains to be seen how severely the state’s new two-year budget will affect Ohio’s neediest residents, but in the meantime, Gov. John Kasich deserves credit for responding directly to one problem that has worsened statewide since the recession began: hunger.
In announcing his controversial agreement with the developers of casino projects in Cleveland and Cincinnati, Kasich said that a substantial part of the additional $110 million that the state would receive will be given to foodbanks. “We know we’ve got a problem in this state with hungry people and particularly hungry children,” Kasich said.
And he announced Thursday that anyone who takes two cans of food to the Ohio State Fair on July 29 before 3 p.m. will be admitted for $3. The food will be donated to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank.
Kasich alluded to the most heartbreaking reality of hunger in Ohio — the toll it takes on children. Laura Bennett, vice president of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, told The Rep this week, “We are seeing the increase in demand. It is just a reflection of the economy. One of four children in Stark County is living in poverty. People don’t ask for food when they don’t need it.”
In contrast, the most hopeful reality is the way residents and businesses in Stark, Summit and six surrounding counties have supported their foodbank. The annual Harvest for Hunger campaign that wrapped up in May raised $850,000 — a record — and collected 117,000 pounds of food.
This outpouring of generosity, which will translate into more than 2.6 million meals, is another reminder of how willingly Stark Countians and their neighbors step up to meet a need. All you have to do is ask.
The issue: Hunger in Ohio
Our view: Local, state efforts will help to alleviate worsening problem
It remains to be seen how severely the state’s new two-year budget will affect Ohio’s neediest residents, but in the meantime, Gov. John Kasich deserves credit for responding directly to one problem that has worsened statewide since the recession began: hunger.
In announcing his controversial agreement with the developers of casino projects in Cleveland and Cincinnati, Kasich said that a substantial part of the additional $110 million that the state would receive will be given to foodbanks. “We know we’ve got a problem in this state with hungry people and particularly hungry children,” Kasich said.
And he announced Thursday that anyone who takes two cans of food to the Ohio State Fair on July 29 before 3 p.m. will be admitted for $3. The food will be donated to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank.
Kasich alluded to the most heartbreaking reality of hunger in Ohio — the toll it takes on children. Laura Bennett, vice president of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, told The Rep this week, “We are seeing the increase in demand. It is just a reflection of the economy. One of four children in Stark County is living in poverty. People don’t ask for food when they don’t need it.”
In contrast, the most hopeful reality is the way residents and businesses in Stark, Summit and six surrounding counties have supported their foodbank. The annual Harvest for Hunger campaign that wrapped up in May raised $850,000 — a record — and collected 117,000 pounds of food.
This outpouring of generosity, which will translate into more than 2.6 million meals, is another reminder of how willingly Stark Countians and their neighbors step up to meet a need. All you have to do is ask.
