The mayor of Reynoldsburg is urging lawmakers not to cut the SNAP program which provides assistance to low-income families.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A new food pantry in Reynoldsburg is set to open its doors this September, tripling the size of the current facility to meet the increasing demand for food assistance in the area.
The existing Mid-Ohio Market in Reynoldsburg, which serves Reynoldsburg, Pickerington, Pataskala and Canal Winchester, distributed over two million pounds of fresh food last year and welcomed more than 56,000 visits.
The new expansion comes as organizers report constantly growing lines of people waiting for food assistance.
“Without a food pantry like this, I definitely would be struggling a lot more with providing food for the family,” said Sharese Redman, a working mother of two children.
“There are certain things I don’t have to buy because I can come to the pantry, and it’s not so hard on my pockets every month,” she said.
The new food market will add 100 parking spaces, a significant increase from the current 10, making it more accessible to those in need.
Despite falling egg prices, many residents whose wages can’t keep up with inflation continue to rely on markets like this to reduce their food costs.
The new pantry aims to provide a supermarket-like experience, offering dignity and choice to those facing food insecurity.
Federal food funding fears
Mayor Joe Begeny of Reynoldsburg expressed concern about potential federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which could exacerbate food insecurity.
“60% of people who are actually getting these funds are the elderly and children,” Begeny said.
Begeny joined more than 100 mayors from across the country to urge Congress to protect, strengthen and fully fund federal nutrition programs that nourish kids and help families put food on the table.
The mayors are members of the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger, a nonpartisan coalition working in partnership with Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign.
A federal budget resolution narrowly passed by the House of Representatives at the end of February orders the Agriculture Committee, which oversees SNAP, to cut $230 billion in funding over the next decade.
SNAP served an average of 42.1 million people per month, or about 12.6% of all U.S. residents, in 2023.
On average, SNAP recipients will receive an estimated $187 per month (or about $6.16 per day) per person in regular SNAP benefits in the fiscal year 2025.
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