Ohioans struggle to put food on the table. Food banks must be protected.

Ohioans are working harder than ever but are still struggling to make ends meet.

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Matt Habash is the president and CEO of Mid-Ohio Food Collective. He has led Ohio’s largest food bank for over four decades.

As our elected lawmakers work out Ohio’s next two-year budget, they are considering cutting funding to pantries and food banks that help our hungry neighbors.

Last year, Mid-Ohio Food Collective distributed more than 85 million pounds of nutritious food across our 20-county service area (including Franklin County). Nearly one quarter of that food, more than 20 million pounds, came from state dollars. A state funding cut would mean millions of meals missing from dinner tables across our region at a time families simply can’t afford it.

The need for food assistance in Mid-Ohio Food Collective’s service area rose by 38% from 2022 to 2024. Last year was the busiest ever in our 45-year history, and the number of families seeking help is rising again in 2025.

It’s not just here. The Ohio Association of Foodbanks reports record-setting need across the state. How can that be?

Simply put, Ohioans are still living with the economic challenges of the past few years.

Wages rose after the pandemic, but voters are still dealing with inflation and higher costs to meet their basic needs. Rent, utilities and medicine cost more. The prices of groceries have gone up, including key staples like eggs, meat and produce.

We hope things will improve soon, but we know families are hurting now. 

Ohioans are struggling to put food on the table. Food banks are a lifeline.

In the face of all those challenges, Ohioans are working harder than ever. We meet customers every day who are working full-time.

Many have multiple jobs, giving their all but still struggling to make ends meet. 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. 

Letters: Cutting Ohio’s food bank funding would have devastating consequences

Food banks are community cornerstones. We’re there for families when someone loses a job, a car breaks down or an unexpected medical bill comes up. Most of the households served by Mid-Ohio Food Collective and our network of 600 partners got help less than once a month last year, and many visit a pantry only once or twice. The support we provide keeps bad times from getting worse. Ohioans are resilient and resourceful, but life happens to all of us.

Our communities depend on food banks to be ready to help.

Food banks are a community cornerstone

As the need for food assistance has risen, food banks have proven again and again that they use resources efficiently.

We source the healthiest food we can at the lowest possible prices. We support Ohio farmers while preventing good food from going to waste. With the help of thousands of volunteers, we rally our communities together through food donations and individual and corporate giving.

We embrace fresh thinking to improve the health of people and communities alike by addressing the root causes of hunger.

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Real Ohioans are struggling, and more neighbors are showing up at our doors. The federal government is considering rolling back national food programs.

Now is not the time to take food off the tables of hard-working Ohioans.

Now is the time for Ohioans to look out for one another.

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 is the president and CEO of Mid-Ohio Food Collective. He has led Ohio’s largest food bank for over four decades.