Ohio food banks, pantries see a surge in demand

Ohio’s largest food bank says a growing number of residents are experiencing food insecurity.

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[birdie]

No one should go hungry in America 💯thank god for theses places… always remember never judge you could be one step away from being at that pantry. No one is better than anybody else. We’re out here doing the best that we can.

[LawrenceBroussard]

The working poor are being destroyed at this point in our history. When I was in college a minimum wage job you could afford rent and food, but not today.

[joyflee]

This is where I shop when I need to. My selections are based on only what is necessary. I grew up poor so Mid-Ohio is really a blessing!

[tracymorgan]

I think Kayla is a wonderful human being.

[kpage]

Pending recession?? Good gaw, get a clue! We're well past a recession.

[BasicYTHandle]

I started volunteering at my first food pantry in 2017 after I became unemployed and had the time. One of the people training me took my hand and led me over to the meat case and explained that I could choose what I wanted (within quantity restrictions). It hadn't occurred to me that I could also get food there. Since then, as my unemployment has continued, this has been a lifesaver.

[infinite]

the us military is spending billions to defend a nation of homeless people :/

[cashed-out]

She shouldn't be afraid. She has herself and five kids to feed.

[Mark-qvbn]

Jobs everywhere in my small town. Hiring bonuses, almost $20 an hour for fast food jobs. Nobody is working anymore, except us old retired people, it seems.

[garygarrett]

I am thankful that these food pantries are there to help those in need. With the demands on farmers in the United States, and around the world, combined with natural disasters, such as water shortages, I fear that food prices will continue to rise. I fear that food will be harder and harder to obtain. People should grow their own as much as they can.

[moa]

Are there hoards of asylum seekers coming to Ohio from the Latin American countries like Venezuela; and the triangle countries to grab some of the food at the food banks in Ohio?

[JozayyRozay]

OH politicians aren't doing enough to help their own people

[yellowbird]

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I will express it anyway. Pantries are struggling as people needing free food increases. Donations are down because people are stockpiling foods they normally would not eat on a daily basis, so cheap foods like canned goods are not so much left over now from store stock. As demand increases, we all know that household income is not a criteria for need for free food. It doesn't matter how expensive your home is or whether you just bought a new $30, 000 car with all the bells and whistles. How much money you spend on luxuries does not count, so you can get in line with the poorest of the poor, and save up to $300 or more a month by hitting more than one food pantry every week or two. This helps pay for the new car and other luxuries. I have met people who do this. Sometimes the food is sold to small markets for resale. This exploitation of our food banks is discouraging to say the least, because people donate in good faith that the food will go to the most needy. This is not always true. I believe there needs to be verification of low income for those who partake in free food - a bank account printout that can be matched with checkbook number, and verification of identity along with address verification. People say, "Income doesn't matter if all the money is going out to bills." But the public who support these wonderful pantries are not responsible for people's bills. Running up credit cards, charging purchases, buying new cars and streaming videos should not be what people donate to, if these customers only take food to offset their personal finances. In order to serve those who truly are losing the inflation battle with food and cannot survive without assistance, we must toughen our requirements.

[Toshinben]

I'd rather shut them down. Let me keep whatever tax money was going toward this. Half the people going to these banks probably won't need them with the extra money in their pocket. The program is probably very wasteful - it could be that if people weren't being taxed and food being distributed, the Kroger mentioned in the story wouldn't have closed down.

[mariahconklin]

lol! I wonder why that could be could anyone know? Could it be the fact that healthy mayo for a small bottle is $28? It's pathetic.

[fabioleonosorio]

POLITICS IS JUST THE ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION OF THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX! Frank Zappa

[cashed-out]

Don't get me started on the "working poor."

[Charlene-kq]

Ok Walmart krogers instead of filling the dumps with usable food donate it

[sandib]

A lot of people abuse food stamps and food banks, when they are able to get ahold of these problems things could get better! And people need to stop having kids if he can't afford them that would help tremendously.

[wdh]

I hope that they vet the applicants not just those who show up wanting free people take even if they don't need it and the ones who do need it suffer.