“We take a lot of food in, we push a lot of food out. Of course, we're the largest food distributor in west central Ohio. So anytime we have a company and we have a regular relationship with a company like Aunt Millie's, it's a great thing,” said Jason Aldrich, communications and public relations manager for the West Ohio Food Bank.
Hundreds of families lined up Monday for the only December food distribution offered by the West Ohio Food Bank, as demand for assistance continues to climb during the holiday season.
The Lima City Council is stepping in to help families impacted by the ongoing federal government shutdown and cuts to food assistance benefits.
As the West Ohio Food Bank continues to see rising needs, support is coming from the community.
The West Ohio Food Bank says the need for food assistance in the region is rising quickly as federal SNAP benefits are reduced.
WOFB Program Coordinator Shelly Neeley said, “They do so much for us and they support the food bank to be able to have us be able to provide back to them for as much as they give and support that allows us to give the support to the families and those who may need it at the time when they need.”
Jason Aldrich, communications and PR manager for the West Ohio Food Bank, said, “That's always a big time of year for giving, and we urge folks to continue to do that, get your churches, your groups, your organizations, to come out and volunteer, to do food drives to help us with our food distributions that we do two times a month for the community.”
Reineke Family Dealerships is partnering with Ford Motor Company for Global Caring Month to fight hunger locally.
During the fair, The Allen County Junior Fair departments are collecting nonperishable food items or money to purchase food for donation to the West Ohio Food Bank. The department with the highest total will win a pizza party to celebrate.
The organization is looking for individuals and groups to assist with tasks such as packing senior food boxes and backpacks for schoolchildren. Volunteers are also needed to help with cleaning duties around the warehouse.