As 2024 comes to a close, we’re wrapping up the year with a special holiday episode of Just a Bite! Join host Audrey Vanzant, Director of Communications at the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, as she sits down with the incredible team from Second Harvest Food Bank of Champaign, Clark, and Logan Counties (CCL). Together, we offer a behind-the-scenes look at the world of foodbanking, share stories, insights, and inspiration for how you can support your local foodbanks—not just during the holidays, but every day.  Audrey chats with Jennifer, CCL’s Development Director, about the critical role of monetary donations and the challenges of inflation on foodbank budgets. Then, Sarah, Operations Director, discusses creative ways to get involved year-round, from hosting food drives to volunteering. Finally, we hear from Mrs. Debbie, a dedicated volunteer who shares heartfelt stories about the importance of giving back to the community.  References:    Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.  Donate or get involved at Second Harvest Food Bank of Champaign, Clark, and Logan Counties here.  View our entire 2024 Hunger Study here.         Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload them every other week!         Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn, and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!               Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.   

This Veterans Day, we honor those who have served in the United States Military. About 1 in 9 working-age veterans experience food insecurity, with 24% of active-duty service members recorded as food insecure in 2020 (Feeding America). According to the United States Department of Agriculture, working-age veterans are at a greater risk (7.4%) of experiencing food insecurity compared to non-veterans. For disabled veterans, this number of food insecure military families rises nearly three times to 22.5% (USDA-ERS). 1.2 million low-income veterans utilize the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program (SNAP) to ease the impacts of food insecurity on veteran households (Feeding America). Our guest, Kimberly Hazelgrove, Advocacy Coordinator at the Second Harvest Foodbank of North Central Ohio, shares with us her experience as an Ohio veteran, and the lived experience of many military households across the nation. Kimberly shares her firsthand experience with the barriers military families face such as low pay, geographic isolation, physical and mental health struggles, and grief.   We want to thank Kimberly for her vulnerability and her willingness to speak with us about her life and lived experience as a veteran, widow, active member, and advocate. Thank you for trusting us with your story and your thoughts. Thank you to all those who have served our country in the United States Military, as we honor you, and those who have lost their lives fighting for our country, this Veterans Day.     References:  Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors – Caring for Families of Americas Heros: TAPS  Find an Ohio County Veterans Service Offices: Ohio Department of Veterans Services  Determining Veterans Status – Verification Assistance Brief: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs  Ohio Inter-Service Family Assistance Committee (ISFAC) – State and Regional Partnership in Support of Ohio’s Military.   Gold Star Spouses of America -  goldstarspouses.org - Serving surviving spouses of America’s fallen service members and veterans     Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.             Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload them every other week!        Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn, and take ou...

Ohio Association of Foodbanks, like the rest of the country, have been counting down the days until November 5 but Ohioans can vote early from October 8 through the election. We know that in this country, our elections can have a tremendous impact on hunger and in this upcoming election, we can work to elect and hold accountable leaders of any political party, who care about hunger. On top of the tireless work of providing emergency food assistance to Ohioans, Ohio foodbanks also have been working to inform their neighbors about the election ahead and the impact that their vote has. During this election, we talk with Hallie Carrino-Lee with the Mid-Ohio Food Collective and Elisabeth Warner of the League of Women Voters of Ohio about the role non-profits play in providing nonpartisan voter education and support and why it is so critical. Take a listen!    References:   November Election important dates:  Voter Registration deadline: Monday, October 7, 2024  Early Voting Begins: Tuesday, October 8, 2024  Absentee Ballot postmark deadline: Monday, November 4, 2024  Election Day: Tuesday, November 5, 2024  Check your voter registration, view the voter ID requirements, and look up your sample ballot and polling locations HERE.   Are you worried that you might be told you have to vote provisionally this election? Don’t worry! You likely have additional steps you have to take after you cast your provisional ballot to provide the Board of Elections more information. Learn more here.   Please consider being a poll worker this election! You can learn more information and sign up HERE.  Show off your passion for ending hunger AND voting by buying a “Vote to End Hunger” shirt!   Learn more about the work nonprofits can do during election season:  Check out Nonprofit Vote, especially their “staying nonpartisan” checklist!  Learn more about Bolder Advocacy.  Learn more about our guests!   Learn more about the League of Women Voters of Ohio at their website, on Facebook, X/Twitter, and Instagram.   Learn more about the Mid-Ohio Food Collective at their website, on Facebook, X/Twitter, ...

In this special episode of Just a Bite, we celebrate Hunger Action Month with a heartfelt conversation between Joree Novotny, Executive Director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, and Julie Chase Moorfield, President and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio and Board Chair for OAF. Julie reflects on her 25 years in food banking, with a focus on her 20-year tenure at Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio. She shares insights into the significant changes in food banking over the decades, including growth in staff, distribution volume, and expanded community services.   References:   Learn more about Julie and the incredible work here team is doing here. Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.      Visit our Hunger Action Month Center to learn how you can take action now!      Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!            Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!           We are licensed to use the song, Goals and Dreams by Boomer, which is distributed and owned by PremiumBeat.     Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.    

This month, Just a Bite host, Sarah Kuhns, sits down with Joy Kostansek and Representative Sean P. Brennan to discuss how to end college hunger in the state of Ohio. As students return to campus this fall, food insecurity and hunger also return to college campuses. College students continuously face high tuition costs, and accumulating student debt, in addition to schedules loaded with heavy course work and on/off campus employment. Far too many college students are struggling to meet their basic needs as they study and learn, with concerning consequences. Joy Kostansek, the Associate Director in the Dean of Students office at the University of Cincinnati (UC), shares more about her work to support UC students in accessing their critical basic needs. State Representative Sean P. Brennan of Ohio’s 14th House District, joins us to discuss not only his passion for addressing food insecurity in our communities, but also his introduction of House Bill 590 to the Ohio General Assembly. Take a listen to this inspiring episode and learn how to fight hunger on college campuses as we enter the 2024-2025 school year.   References:   Learn more from our guests, and follow on social media!   Bearcats Pantry and Resource Center, University of Cincinnati  Instagram: @bearcatspantry , BCP Pantry and Resource Center  Representative Sean P. Brennan Bio, Ohio House of Representatives  Facebook: @brennanforohio  X: @BrennanforOhio  Analysis of House Bill 590, The Ohio Legislature 135th General Assembly, Hunger Free Campus Grant Program  Enact the Hunger-Free Campus Act, The Ohio Legislature 135th General Assembly  Research, basic needs on college campuses:  Basic Needs Insecurity During the Ongoing Pandemic, The Hope Center (2021)  Food Insecurity During College Years Linked to Lower Gradutaion Rate, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (2021)  Better Information Could Help Eligible College Students Access Federal Food Assistance Benefits, U.S. Government Accountability Office (2018)  Take Action! Visit the Ohio Association of Foodbanks Hunger Free Campus Action Center to get involved!  Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload t...

Many families rely on school meals during the academic year to provide nutritious and delicious breakfast and lunch. This allows families to use their finite financial resources for other basic needs and gives them some breathing room in their monthly budgets. Unfortunately, every summer these meals are no longer available and many families have to quickly figure out how they are going to make up the difference. Thankfully, there are now options for families to provide meals for their children during the summer! Congress approved an expansion of summer feeding options including Summer EBT and Rural Non-congregate meal sites. These new offerings allow families some flexibility and dignity as they provide for their children during the summer months. Today, we explore these new options on the podcasts with our guests, Jolara O’Harra and Chrissy Musser. Thank you both for sharing your expertise and experiences with the listeners!     References:  Learn more about Summer EBT, including eligibility information, outreach materials and important FAQs at https://ohiosummerebt.org/.     Find both traditional and non-congregate summer meal sites in your area here. Remember that you can utilize both summer meals sites and Summer EBT!    Learn more about the Community Backyards program and how you can use the program to support your own garden.     Learn more about Produce Perks and how you can double both SNAP benefits and Summer EBT benefits for your family.     Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.             Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload them every other week!          Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn, and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!             Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.     

In this episode, Audrey sits down with two incredible experts in the field to celebrate all things Pride. Join us is an hour worth of meaningful conversation concerning the complexities of the LGBTQ+ community, the support they need, and a shout of incredible resources we have right here in Ohio. Joining us is Oliver Licking, Gender Equity Policy Manager at Equitas Health, a non-profit community health center and one of the largest LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS serving healthcare organizations in the country, serving patients in Ohio, Texas, Kentucky and West Virginia. And Erin Upchurch, Executive Director at Kaleidoscope youth center, the largest nonprofit in Ohio dedicated solely to serving and supporting LGBTQ youth.   References:  Check out the Feeding America podcast, Elevating Voices, Ending Hunger here, as well as the Williams Institute research referenced.   You can also find the book, Untamed by Glennon Doyle, referenced by Erin.  Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.       Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload them every other week!        Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn, and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!       Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.     

With this year’s tax season ending, our Just a Bite host, Sarah, interviewed two experts to discuss the need for an equitable tax code and progressive revenue in Ohio and to highlight the important solutions to make that happen.   Sarah first talks with Bailey Williams, a tax researcher from Policy Matters Ohio, who answers questions like, why are taxes and revenue so important? What targeted tax relief can we establish for families? And why is eliminating the state income tax such a harmful policy for Ohioans with low and moderate incomes?  After speaking with Bailey, Sarah talks with Benisha Wright, an advocate and directly impacted Ohioan who talks about what the child tax credit in 2021 meant for her family and countless other Ohio families. She shares that since that tax relief has expired and inflation has only continued to grow, she is increasingly concerned about her ability to make ends meet. We also explore the benefit cliff that she and so many others have experienced as they grow in their careers and earn raises for their hard work, the difficult catch-22 that they are put in to balance their new income and expenses without the support of benefit programs.  If you would like to take action to push our elected officials to take up equitable tax policies, please share your Child Tax Credit story with us through this form. You can also call on your U.S. Senators to pass a bipartisan child tax credit here.  References:  Listen to the press conference for the introduction of the Thriving Families Tax Credit, with Benisha’s remarks starting at 4:29 mark.     See the media coverage from the press conference and coverage highlighting the Thriving Families Tax Credit:  Ohio House Dems introduce ‘priority investment’ with family tax credit, by Susan Tebben, Ohio Capital Journal.  Ohio foodbanks say Thriving Families Tax Credit could help reduce hunger, by Nadia Ramlagan, Public News Service  Ohio lawmakers introduce legislation to help families put food on the table, by Remi Murrey, News 5 Cleveland    See the various research papers done by Policy Matters Ohio making the case for an equitable tax code in Ohio:  Increase family security and expand opportunity in Ohio: the case for a state-level thriving families tax credit, by Will Petrik 

In this episode, Audrey sits down to talk about a wide variety of topics concerning women’s health, livelihood, and the changes still to be made as we celebrate Women’s History Month. Our expert for this episode is the incredible Elizabeth Brown who currently serves at the President and CEO for the YWCA of Columbus, Ohio, a nonprofit organization whose mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Elizabeth previous served as council member for the city of Columbus for seven years where her work included broadening access to opportunity and strengthening women and families. We encourage you to read Liz’s full bio here to learn more about all the incredible work she has done.   Thank you, Liz, for joining us and for shining light on such meaningful topics. We’d also like to thank Hope at OAF who previously worked with Liz and can be heard throughout the podcast, participating in the conversation with us!     References:  Check out Liz full bio from her time as a council member and about the work she is currently doing at the YWCA Columbus, Ohio.   Call to action for the YWCA, here.   Learn more about period poverty from leaders in the field like, Aunt Flo, here.   Although we do not believe the Free the Tampon website has been active since 2020, we still wanted to share as it was a cool part of Liz’s story!    Learn more about the maternal health crisis and how critical nutrition programs, like WIC, can help on our 2022 episode “Let’s Talk Maternal Health for Mother’s Day”.  -   Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.       Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload them every other week!        Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn, and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!             Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.   

This Black History Month, Just a Bite hosts, Hope Lane-Gavin and Chloe Meyers, interview our great partners through the Ohio CAN program. Our hosts and our friends from the Regenerative Farmer Collective talked about the dichotomy of farming: how painful yet healing it can be as Black farmers to continue to work among the earth and grow as their ancestors did. They shared stories about how the joys and challenges as Black farmers, how they mentor and support one another, and what more needs to be done to rectify the horrific wrongs that white Americans and Europeans did when they kidnapped the first Africans and brought them to Virginia as slaves in 1619. We still see the lasting impact slavery has had on Black Americans to this day. Take a listen to this emotional, powerful conversation as we celebrate this Black History Month.     References:  Learn more from our guests and support their farms:  Tia Stuart of Narrow Way Farm  Sharifa Tomlinson of Arrowrock Farm an Urban Sanctuary  Watch Sharifa share how Ohio CAN was beneficial for her and her farm  Christine Irby of Irby’s Old School Farm  Watch their youtube channel!  Khalid Karriem of Farm Right Natural Fruits and Vegetables (Trotwood, Ohio)    Learn more about Ohio CAN and other farmers Ohio foodbanks partner with in our previous episode “Getting to know some Ohio Farmers through LFPA”.     Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.             Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload them every other week!          Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn, and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!             Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feed...

Food assistance programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) play a pivotal role as the primary line of defense against food insecurity for numerous individuals. However, gaining access to SNAP benefits and related programs poses challenges not only for everyday Americans and Ohioans but also for those currently incarcerated. In Ohio, individuals within the correctional facilities preparing for release within 30 days can benefit from SNAP INreach, a program facilitated by Ohio's foodbank network. Holding the SNAP outreach contract for nearly 15 years, Ohio's foodbank network strives to extend support. Presently, eight out of our twelve network foodbanks are actively engaged, with four of them consistently conducting monthly corrections-in-reach. As of this recording, Ohio has 28 state-run corrections facilities, with SNAP outreach workers going into 25 of 28 facilities once per month to assist interested inmates to be released within 30 days with their SNAP applications if they so choose. Our network goal in 2024 is to have presence in all 28 state-run corrections facilities. To explore and talk about this critical work for post release success, your Just a Bite hosts have a conversation with our dedicated colleagues, Bailey Clearly-Foeller with Mid-Ohio Food Collective and Robert Zohfeld with Shared Harvest Foodbank who are doing this critical work every day.  References:  For more information on SNAP and the impact it has on Ohioans, check out our previous episodes titled, SNAP Outreach: Thoughts from the Field and our more recent episode titled, Ohioans on SNAP Share Their Stories.    To hear more on the impact of incarcerations, check out our episode titled, Re-entry after incarceration where we hear directly from an impacted Ohioan who is now a wonderful colleague of ours, Mary Evans with the Foodbank, Inc in Dayton, Ohio. This particular episode focuses on the “-isms” that play a major part in stability including food security and recidivism rates.     For those who are formerly incarcerated, Mary shared a resource that helps connect, lift up, and consult fellow system-impacted individuals, From Prison Cells to PhD.     Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.             Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload them every other week!          Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn, and take our latest hunger-f...

In this episode, Sarah talks with two amazing partners the Ohio Association of Foodbanks works with through the Ohio Community + Agriculture + Nutrition (CAN) Program, funded through the USDA’s Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program. Jamie Pritchard joins us from WIT Farm and Walt Bonham joins from the Food Lab and the Richland Gro-Op. We talk about the importance of local food systems, the historical context that makes it difficult for BIPOC farmers and other farmers left out of USDA programs to scale and grow, and how local farms are innovatively collaborating with one another to expand their reach and impact.     Thank you, Walt and Jamie, for joining us and thank you to Carrie at OAF and Ainsley at Ohio Department of Agriculture for listening in and participating in the conversation with us!     References:  Check out Jamie’s family-owned business, WIT Farm at their website, on Instagram and Facebook.     Check out Walt’s business, The Food Lab, and the Richland Gro-Op. You can find the Richland Gro-Op on Instagram and Facebook and the Food Lab on Facebook.    Visit Walt and other farmers at the North End Community Improvement Collaborative (NECIC) farm and volunteer with them!    For the farmers listening, here is the podcast Jamie mentioned, My Digital Farmer Podcast, by Corinna Bench from Shared Legacy Farms. You can also check out Corrin’s Farm Marketing School here.   Listen to our previous episode on Ohio CAN with representatives from Ohio Department of Agriculture.    Learn more about the Ohio CAN program here.     Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.             Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload them every other week!          Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, X, and 

Food insecurity doesn’t stand alone and is simply a symptom of one or more -isms: racism, sexism, classism, ableism, ageism, capitalism. What you may not know, however, is that other symptoms of these -isms include un-or-underemployment, lack of affordable housing, poor health, and crime. Violence and crime are disproportionately higher in areas and communities with poor public education, lack of community investment and economic opportunity. Additionally, these communities are often over policed, poverty stricken and traumatized and crime is often committed to ensure necessities are met or so that the pain is eased. Incarceration is rarely the answer for those who just need opportunity. Incarceration does not alleviate the systemic challenges individuals faced prior to incarceration; in fact, it fuels it by perpetuating disparities. To explore and talk about this vast, nuanced, and interconnected problem, your Just a Bite hosts have a conversation with Professor Karen Benton at Clark State College to talk about the context and connection between access to basic needs and recidivism rates, why food and other basic needs are so critical once someone is released, and what innovative programs are available in Ohio to support system-impacted individuals as they are release. After talking with Karen, you will hear us speak with Mary Evans, Re-entry Manager at the Foodbank, Inc in Dayton and returning citizen herself to talk about her experience being system-impacted and to share her expertise when it comes to supporting folks post-release.      References:  Check out Re-Entry Stories and West Dayton Stories produced by Mary Evans at WYSO.   Mary is also the co-founder of The Journalism Lab, a collaborative that empowers citizen correspondents to learn the foundations of journalism and report on what is happening in their local communities.   “It’s my mission to give my community a voice” by Mary Evans, in Dayton Daily News.   For those who are formerly incarcerated, Mary shared a resource that helps connect, lift up, and consult fellow system-impacted individuals, From Prison Cells to PhD.   Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.       Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload them every other week!        Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn, and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!       Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a

This episode might be a tear-jerker! The association’s director emerita, Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, and executive director, Joree Novotny, join Just a Bite. The two leaders take the time to celebrate Lisa’s legacy and lifelong commitment to Ohio’s most vulnerable and reflect on Joree’s vision for the future of the association and her tenure. During this episode, they share what their successes and challenges are, how they have been feeling during the transition, and what they are looking forward to in the future.   Thank you to the countless partners, foodbankers, and staff who have congratulated Lisa and Joree, wished them well, and recounted memories shared with them! We want to especially thank Kelly Hatas of Hocking Athens Perry Community Action/Southeast Ohio Foodbank, Kristin Warzocha of the Greater Cleveland Foodbank (GCFB), Matt Habash of Mid-Ohio Food Collective (MOFC), Michelle Riley and Lee Alder of the Foodbank, Inc, Juanita Burden of MOFC, Jess Morgan of GCFB, Tim White of MOFC, Carrie Dennis of OAF, and Jessica Renwick of OAF for sharing their well wishes and thanks with Joree, Lisa, and our listeners!  References:  Learn more about the leadership transition announcement here.  Listen to our podcast episode about Lisa’s induction into the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame for her tireless commitment to feeding hungry Ohioans and supporting Ohio’s largest sector, agriculture.   Listen to Lisa reflect on the Ohio Association of Foodbanks’ 30th anniversary with Tina Osso, former executive director at Shared Harvest Foodbank who was instrumental in establishing the association.   Watch the State of Ohio show on WOSU/PBS, with a segment featuring Lisa’s tenure at the Ohio Association of Foodbanks and John Corlett, executive director of Center for Community Solutions who is also retiring this year. Segment begins at 5:28.  Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.       Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload them every other week!        Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn, and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!       Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a regi...

The public policy team at the Ohio Association of Foodbanks sits down to provide you with updates on what is happening in Congress when it comes to hunger and basic needs security. OAF’s new director of communications, Audrey Vanzant, joins Hope and Sarah to host the episode and ask the team what the listeners need to know when it comes to the debt ceiling deal negotiation earlier this year, delays in the Farm Bill, a possible government shutdown and more. Take a listen!  References:  Medicaid renewals are starting. Those who don’t reenroll could get kicked off, by Maria Godoy, NPR  The government remains open – for now. Here’s what happens next, by Kaanita Iyer, CNN  Rep Mike Johnson says avoiding shutdown is priority as House speaker, by April Rubin, Axios  Getting a new speaker may not clear hurdles to agriculture bills, by Ellyn Ferguson, Roll Call  Millions of American families struggle to get food on the table, report finds, by Maria Godoy, NPR  USDA Economic Research Service Report on Household Food Security in the United States in 2022, Released October 2023.  Feeding America Calls for Immediate Action to Address Large Increase in Food Insecurity, Released October 25, 2023  A recently released USDA Policy Memo assured that SNAP and WIC benefits will be issued through the rest of the year, regardless of government shutdown.   Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.       Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload them every other week!        Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, 

As summer comes to a close and Ohio students return to school, your Just A Bite hosts wanted to highlight a huge first step when it comes to addressing childhood hunger and providing nutritious school meals for all students. We are joined by two members of the Children’s Defense Fund Ohio, Katherine Ungar and Matthew Tippit to talk about the coalition work this campaign needed to make it a success and what opportunities there are to make sure implementation of the program is successful. We talked to Tom Zsembik, food service director at Mad River Local Schools, to share his perspective about why free school meals are needed and what he sees on the ground in his community.  References:  Learn more about the Hunger Free Schools Ohio campaign at their website.   Learn more about CDF-Ohio at their website, Twitter, and Facebook.   Listen to the past Just a Bite episode with Katherine about the Hunger Free Schools Ohio coalition.   Read more about the work Tom Zsembik, food service director at Mid River Local Schools, is doing to break down barriers to nutritious school meals for the students in his community.   Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.            Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload them every other week!             Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!           Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.  

It has been a little over two months since Ohio's state budget was passed and signed by Governor DeWine! Sarah is joined by three state advocates with three different perspectives to talk about how their issues fared in the budget and what they think are the opportunities to weigh in on implementation of new programs and policies. The conversation ends with what kept each of them energized and inspired during the 6 months of monitoring the budget and advocating on behalf of the people they serve. References:  Learn more about Groundwork Ohio on their website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Look at their Early Childhood Dashboard and learn about their Center for Family Voice where you can listen to their podcast, Amplified.   Learn more about Ohio Poverty Law Center on their website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.    Learn more about Disability Rights Ohio on their website, Facebook, and Twitter. Check out their Public Policy Resource Center to get involved.   Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.            Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload them every other week!             Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and 

It is often stated that Ohio is an aging state. But what does that mean? And how do we create communities that support all of us as we age? Ohio’s older adult population is projected to increase by 21% by 2030! Unfortunately for some, food insecurity and poverty become more prevalent as they age. Recently, Ohio foodbanks have been seeing an uptick in older adults seeking help, with households with at least one Ohioan over 60 making up a third of our caseload statewide. Sarah, Just a Bite cohost, spoke with Beth Kowalczyk from Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging who gave an overview of our aging state and what policy solutions would support our older Ohioans, Sarah Brown from the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank to talk about the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, and Patty, a resident from Mahoning County, Ohio about her experience navigating nutrition programs as an older adult.    References:  Find more information on the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging on their website, their twitter, and their Facebook page.    Learn more about the Akron Canton Regional Foodbank on their website, their Twitter, their Instagram, and their Facebook page.    Find your local Produce Perks location to get additional SNAP dollars for fresh fruits and vegetables.   Learn about the findings from the study done by Ohio’s foodbank network here.   Hear more stories from those living with food insecurity and poverty. Listen to our previous podcast episode interviewing SNAP participants.    Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.           Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload them every other week!             Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!          ...

Michael Knote of Have A Gay Day joined Just a Bite host, Sarah, to talk about the great work Have A Gay Day is doing to meet neighbors and clients where they are at and provide them with a welcoming and inclusive environment. Michael and Sarah discuss the stigma and barriers LGBTQ+ Ohioans face and their disproportionate rates of food insecurity, homelessness, and poverty. Listen to learn more about what Ohio’s hunger relief network can do to be more inclusive and break down barriers for LGBTQ+ Ohioans.   References:  Visit Have A Gay Day at their website, their Facebook, and their Twitter.    Support Have A Gay Day by donating here. If you donate $10 or more during the month of June 2023, Have A Gay Day has the chance to win a $10,000 grant to support their efforts in Montgomery County, Ohio!   Learn about the findings from the study mentioned, done by UCLA’S Williams Institute, here.   Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.            Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload them every other week!             Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!       Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.   

SNAP recipients had been receiving extra COVID SNAP benefits for 3 years to weather the economic impacts of the pandemic. It had been a lifeline for many, where they could finally afford the foods they preferred and needed to manage their diet related diseases and feel food secure. Unfortunately, since those benefits ended in March, SNAP recipients no longer have that additional money that they used to meet their basic needs, while the side effects of COVID still remain. To get a sense of how this is impacting Ohioans, we met with 5 Ohioans who participate in SNAP to talk to them about their experiences and what they think folks need to hear when it comes to making ends meet. We extend our most sincere thanks to each of them for sharing their time and their stories.   References:  Read our 2022 brief on older adults and the impact SNAP EAs had on their lives here.   Read our recent tweet thread about the impact SNAP EAs had on older adults and the need to increase the minimum SNAP benefit.   Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.            Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!             Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!            Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.   

The primary benefit from making sure that every person has the wholesome food they need is that fewer people suffer the indignity and harm of hunger. But did you know there are many other benefits to hunger relief? Today we’re going to dive deeper into one less commonly explored way that our state-funded emergency food programs benefit Ohio: through the indirect economic activity they generate! Economist Dr. Howard Fleeter joins the podcast to talk about his Independent Economic Impact Analysis of our food purchasing programs and the economic multiplier effects that come with food assistance!  References:  Read the latest Independent Economic Impact Analysis for our State-Funded Food Programs, as prepared by Dr. Fleeter.   Review our request for increased funding for the Ohio Food Program and Agricultural Clearance Program and add your name to our list of supporters for this request.   Learn more about Dr. Howard Fleeter’s career, experience, and areas of expertise and what makes Fleeter & Associates Ohio’s premier public policy research firm.   Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.            Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!             Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!            Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.   

Will Petrik of Policy Matters Ohio comes on the podcast to talk about the recent threats to the economic security and stability of Ohioans to as well as a meaningful solution to make the state tax code more equitable, allow families to weather the high inflation they are experiencing, and ensure that families can thrive. A state funded child tax credit, or the Thriving Families Tax Credit, is extremely popular among Ohioans. Listen to learn more about what this tax credit would entail and how we could make equitable and sustainable changes to the state tax code.     References:  Find Policy Matters Ohio on their website, Twitter and Facebook.    Find Will Petrik on Twitter @WillPetrik and via email [email protected].  “Ohio Voters Support Taxing the Wealthy and Investing More in Workers and Families,” Evangel Penumaka & Tenneth Fairclough II, Data for Progress.   See Policy Matters Ohio’s tweet thread about the polling they conducted with Data for Progress.    “The great Ohio tax shift, 2022,” Guillermo Bervejillo, Policy Matters Ohio   “Ohio’s family budget,” Will Petrik, Molly Zelloe, Tanisha Pruitt, Piet van Lier, Michael Shields, Guillermo Bervejillo, & Zach Schiller, Policy Matters Ohio   “Setting the foundations for a thriving Ohio with a proactive tax agenda,” Guillermo Bervejillo & Zach Schiller, Policy Matters Ohio   “Ohio’s LLC loophole: Public dollars, private benefits,” Guillermo Bervejillo, Policy Matters Ohio   “Gov. DeWine’s $2,500-per-child state tax deduction does nothing for those who need it most,” Guillermo Bervejillo, Policy Matters Ohio    Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.            Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a revie...

Katherine Ungar, Senior Policy Associate at Children’s Defense Fund Ohio, joins the podcast to talk about the Hunger Free Schools Ohio coalition. Sarah and Katherine talk about how important school meals are to child development and wellbeing, how free school meals can reduce household stress, increase financial stability, and lower administrative burden on families and schools, and how Ohio can get this done for its students, families, and schools.  

Hope Lane-Gavin, our new Director of Nutrition Policy & Programs, joins Just a Bite to talk a little bit about herself and her perspective as a former Statehouse staffer and current advocate. With Governor DeWine releasing his budget proposal, Hope also talked about what she was encouraged to see within his proposal and what she thinks the Ohio General Assembly should debate during the state budget process. She leaves us with some advice and encouragement as advocates embark on this 6-month process!  References:    Find Hope on Twitter @HopeFromOhio and on our website.   Learn more about the Ohio Association of Foodbanks’ funding request.  Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.       Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!        Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!       Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need. 

Sarah sat down OAF director of health initiatives, Zach Reat, to talk about the upcoming changes to Medicaid and the impact it will have on Ohioans. Just like the changes to SNAP and the permanent improvements to summer meals, these changes are due to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, which de-coupled the Medicaid Continuous Coverage provision from the Public Health Emergency and set a clear start date for states to begin redeterminations of Medicaid cases.