This story was updated to include information about additional funding coming from the State of Ohio to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.
The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank has extended its hours and added days for people to access food. At the same time, governments and other organizations around the area have increased donations and other support for people who have lost federal benefits, including SNAP aid, due to the ongoing government shutdown.
The added aid comes as the shutdown has become the longest in U.S. history.
Supplemental nutrition assistance program, or SNAP, benefits, have not gone out this month to about 77,000 Summit County residents, among the nearly 42 million people who get food aid. Additionally, federal employees have begun to miss paychecks. Both situations have led to more need from food pantries.
Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank extends hours, days for food access
The food bank’s on-site pantry, located at 350 Opportunity Parkway, will now open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. (The food bank had previously closed its doors at 1 p.m.) Families can visit the pantry once a week.
Additionally, the food bank added more hours one day and will be open two days it was not previously scheduled for.
- Wednesday, Nov. 12: Open 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 15: Open from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 20: Open 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Canton location (1365 Cherry Ave. NE) also has adjusted its hours on upcoming dates.
- Thursday, Nov. 6: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 8: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The food bank also has a pop-up pantry; locations continue to be added. A full list of places residents can find food is available on the food bank’s website.
While two judges ordered President Donald Trump to fund SNAP, and the administration said it would use an emergency fund to cover about half of benefits, it’s not clear when that money would be available.
“The government shutdown has made an already difficult situation even harder for local families,” Dan Flowers, president and CEO of the food bank, said in a statement. “Across the country, food banks are struggling to keep up with rising demand — food is moving through our warehouse as quickly as it arrives.”
Foundations, governments increasing giving around food assistance
The food bank will be open to receive donations Mondays through Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., through the month of November. It has also added additional hours to collect food and funds from the public. Those extended times, all Saturdays from 9 a.m. until noon, are Nov. 8, 15 and 22. Dropoffs are available in both Akron and Canton.
The food bank is beginning a fundraising drive and is seeking volunteers as well.
Two events will help raise funds — a Merry Meals Mixer on Dec. 3 at the Ohio Christmas Factory (4125 Mahoning Road NE in Canton) and a Selfless Elf 5k on Dec. 20 at the food bank’s main campus on Opportunity Parkway.
In addition to donations from individuals, the food bank has also seen more support from governments and other organizations. The Akron Community Foundation, pending approval of the full board, will give the food bank an additional $25,000 to help feed Summit County residents. That’s on top of $40,000 the foundation gives annually, which will also be approved by the full board in December. And an additional $28,050 was approved by donor-advised funds. That’s up from $6,000 from donor-advised funds the previous year.
ACF has also earmarked $100,000 from its Food Pantry Capacity Fund to provide food to targeted areas of Summit County.
The GAR Foundation this year increased its annual operating grant to the food bank by $10,000 in response to earlier government cuts that reduced funding by more than a third. This week, the organization added an additional $50,000 commitment to help allay the impact of SNAP benefit cuts. That brings the foundation’s total giving to $140,000.
And following announcements from Summit County and the City of Akron that they would give $250,000 and $100,000 apiece to the food bank, the City of Cuyahoga Falls announced it planned to allocate $51,114 to the food bank — $1 per resident.
The State of Ohio on Thursday said it would give $887,337.50 to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank as a result of the continued SNAP delays. Gov. Mike DeWine directed $7 million across eight regional food banks in the state, based on each food bank’s percentage of SNAP customers.
The governor earlier said he intended to make up to $25 million available if the shutdown continued to mean SNAP benefits would not be sent. The state is also providing aid of up to $18 million to more than 63,000 Ohioans who are at or below the federal poverty level.
Free Swensons kids’ meals, METRO bus rides
METRO, the Summit County bus system, is offering free rides on METRO Direct and ADA services for people who need food aid. Riders must show their Ohio Direction, SNAP or EBT card to the operator when they board the bus.
And Swensons Drive-In is offering free kids’ meals for those under 18 until Nov. 12. The meals are available at all Swensons drive-ins and are eligible for to-go or tray meals — residents must show a SNAP or EBT card; no purchase is required.
Children can choose from a hot dog, grilled cheese sandwich, hamburg or cheeseburg.
(Editor’s note: The Akron Community Foundation and the GAR Foundation are financial supporters of Signal Akron.)