Thank you for tuning in to this special episode of Just a Bite, featuring live audio from Friends of the Foodbanks Lobby Day on February 12, 2025. Our foodbank network and advocates met with Ohio’s 136th General Assembly to urge $50 million per year in state funding for the Ohio Agricultural Clearance Program (ACP) and Ohio Food Program (OFP)—essential resources that help foodbanks provide fresh, nutritious food to communities across the state. 

Despite record levels of need, state funding for these programs were cut by $7.5 million per year in Governor DeWine’s executive budget, reducing total funding to $24.55 million annually. We are calling on lawmakers to restore these cuts and increase funding to meet the growing demand. 

A special thank you to our luncheon panelists for sharing their invaluable insights on the connection between food access, agriculture, and community resilience: 

• Pastor Susan Roark, Faith Fellowship 

• Manoj Kumar, Sherwin-Williams 

• Alex Buck, Fresh Forward Farms & Fruit Growers Marketing Association 

• Pete Dorley, Keystone Meats 


• Moderator: Joree Novotny, Ohio Association of Foodbanks 

Please note that the audio isn’t ideal. We appreciate your understanding of this special episode and thank you for listening. 

References:  

Read recent news coverage on what these budget cuts mean for Ohio’s foodbanks. 
Ohio foodbanks face funding cuts in proposed state budget 
OH food banks face fed funding uncertainty DeWine budget cuts / Public News Service 
Food Banks in Ohio are raising the alarm about funding

Learn more about our request here: Our Statewide Request for Hunger Relief Funding in the 2026-27 State Biennial Budget - Ohio Association of Foodbanks 

Watch the full video referred to in the episode here: Friends of Foodbanks State Lobby Day Video 2025 

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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.