Harvest for Hunger campaign launches with mission to reclaim momentum after tough year

The economic punch that 2022 packed was especially difficult for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank to absorb, but the organization's leaders said Tuesday they remain staunchly committed to providing for those who experience food insecurity across the area.

The food bank kicked off its 32nd annual Harvest for Hunger initiative with nearly 400 people gathered at the John S. Knight Center in Akron for a breakfast and update on the nonprofit's mission.

"The sheer volume of bad news related to the labor market, and supply chain disruptions, and donation shortages, inflation — it just felt like we couldn't get any momentum going," said Dan Flowers, the food bank's president and CEO. "I've never seen anything like it. There were times this past year — 2022 — when our food list was the shortest I've seen it in my 20 years here. It was a scary time."

And 2023 is starting with more unsettling news for those served by the organization, with pandemic-related SNAP benefits set to expire this month. This year's Harvest for Hunger campaign is aiming to help make up for that by bringing in enough financial and food donations to secure the equivalent of 4.54 million meals for hungry people in the area.

Together with three other foodbanks — Greater Cleveland Food Bank, the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning  Valley, and the Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio — Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank uses the Harvest for Hunger campaign to fight hunger across 21 counties.

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Can the misery of 2020 be topped? Yes, it can

Speaking to the room, president and CEO of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank Dan Flowers said 2022 was the toughest year of his career, even tougher than 2020, the first year of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the hardships of soaring food prices and slowing donations, the organization managed to do an incredible amount of work, Flowers said — managing to stay fully staffed and find new ways to procure and supply food.

Last year, Flowers said, 79% of the food that passed through the warehouse went out to 600 charities that the food bank supports at no cost to the charities or the recipients.

"When I say that, I'm talking about $30 to 35 million worth of food given away for free in this community as a way to fight food insecurity and poverty at the same time," Flowers said. "Together, we distributed the equivalent of 23.3 million meals last year — over 30 million pounds of food — including 6.9 million pounds of fresh and nutritious produce."

The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank also served over 11,000 people with mobile food distribution services, and was one of the first food banks in the nation to pilot an online order-ahead program that allows people to choose what goes into their boxes from the pantry.

Drive-thru distributions served a total of 24,000 people. Flowers said that each month, more than 13,000 children were served through the Feeding Kids initiative.

The organization also partnered with Summa Health Systems, Cleveland Clinic Akron General and Akron Children's Hospital to set up food distribution operations inside the hospitals.

In addition to completing the construction of its Stark County campus last year, the food bank began renovating its Akron site in November. When completed, it will feature a network partner welcome center, a distribution site on the building's south side, and freezers and coolers with double the capacity of the existing.

New three-year plan

The foodbank's plan for the next three years is to "deepen our impact" by focusing on five areas: food bankers (the people working at the pantry), the physical food bank, investors, communities and neighbors.

Flowers said a key goal to retain staff, investing in employees through professional development opportunities and a mentorship program.

For the physical facility, Flowers said that the food bank is going to annually review its disaster response plan. Developing an environmental sustainability plan centered on operations is also part of the strategy.

Colleen Benson, vice president of development, took the stage to talk about the agenda for deepening connections with investors and communities.

"To deepen our impact with our investors, first, we will continue to celebrate and engage our army of volunteers," Benson said. "We are launching a new recognition program for our most dedicated volunteers, our can-do crew. We're going to be offering a variety of opportunities for them to further engage in meaningful fellowship together."

Benson added that the food bank is working to fortify relationships with companies and organizations that donate food and money.

Creating stronger connections in the community will involve engaging in robust two-way communications with everyone the food bank serves, said Benson.

"We will explore opportunities for deeper engagement and connection through community advisory committees," she said, "and a partner leadership academy, which is very exciting. These strategies will support a strong foundation of leadership within our network, and make sure the voices of our region are present — represented in the work we do when we're making decisions."

The organization will also expand advocacy efforts by building outreach strategies for local, state, and federal elected officials.

Reaching out to neighbors

Katie Carver Reed, vice president of the food bank, spoke about how it plans to strengthen its connection with people in the community dealing with hunger in their own lives.

"To deepen our impact with our neighbors," she said, "we plan to listen more intently to the people we serve, soliciting and addressing their feedback all along the way. We'll focus on evaluating and accommodating food needs related to nutrition, and culturally appropriate foods; and we'll expand our partnerships providing services beyond food."

Carver Reed grew up with food insecurity in her own life, and understands the importance of the work she's engaged in now.

"One of the high points for me, working at the food bank, is having the privilege to meet and connect with the families we serve," she said. "Being trusted with people's stories is an honor. It's a constant reminder of why we do this work day in, and day out."

Contact reporter Derek Kreider at DKreider@Gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank kicks off 2023 Harvest for Hunger drive