CLEVELAND — We talk about food insecurity a lot here at News 5, and here's why: one in seven people in the area served by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank don't know where their next meal is coming from.
That means there's a good chance your neighbor or friend is food insecure, and you may not even know they're struggling.
According to the 2023 statewide study of hunger by the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, two-thirds of the households they serve have adults who cut down on the size of meals or skip them altogether. Two-thirds, at some point had to choose between food and transportation. Another two-thirds were forced to choose between food and paying utility bills, and more than half chose between food and health care.
According to Feeding America, in Cuyahoga County alone, there is a 26% rate of food insecurity among minors, and it's not much better in Summit County: a 20% child food insecurity rate, making the need here for families sometimes a dire situation.
The Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank is facing a record nobody wanted to reach: an estimated three million visits were made to their pantries this year. That's one million more than in 2020.
Food bank CEO Dan Flowers said there's a 16% increase in the amount of food being distributed, and there's also been a 28% jump in people waiting in long lines or going to pantries for food.
Due to a lot of community needs, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank is expanding its summer feeding program this year. The Akron Canton Regional Food Bank is also seeing an increase in need.
“We are here to serve, but we want those numbers to come down,” said Jessica Morgan, Chief Program Officer at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.
Morgan said the Greater Cleveland Food Bank is expanding its summer feeding program into all six of its service counties for the first time ever. The program last year served 5,000 kids, and this summer, Morgan is predicting 500 more.
“We had about 100 sites last year and this year we have about 125,” Morgan added. “So that need is definitely out there.”
In total, last year, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank served over 400,000 families and is already on track to surpass those numbers for 2024.
“We track those numbers my month and every month we serve more than we did last year during that same time period,” Morgan said.
The Akron Canton Regional Food Bank also sees a 30% increase in family visits and predicts that percentage to continue rising when schools are out.
“With the cost of living on the rise, we're seeing more families in need of support and so that really started increasing quite a bit last spring and unfortunately, has continued to rise this year too,” said Katie Craver Reed, Vice President, Akron Canton Regional Food Bank.
When students can't access free breakfast and lunch it leaves them without 10 meals a week. Morgan wants parents to know… area food banks are there to help. Cleveland's summer feeding program begins June 3.
“If parents are interested in learning a little bit more about where the closest program is to their home, they can call our Help Centre at 216-738-2067."
To learn more about the summer feeding program, click here. More volunteers are needed with the Cleveland Food Bank's ramped-up efforts. Click here to learn more about volunteering.
