ATHENS, Ohio — Data from Feeding America shows that one in eight Ohioans face hunger every day. With SNAP benefits going back to pre-pandemic levels, more people are struggling with food insecurity.

What You Need To Know

  • One in eight Ohioans struggle with food insecurity

  • Athens County Food Pantry has seen a nearly 40% increase in demand for food since the beginning of the year

  • Data from Feeding America shows that it’s the most food insecure county in Ohio

  • Improving the economy is what some believe will help solve the problem of food insecurity

Food insecurity is a prevalent issue in Athens County. Data from Feeding America shows that it’s the most food insecure county in Ohio. The Athens County Food Pantry, which serves 600 households, has seen about a 40% increase in demand for food since the beginning of the year.

“We’re linking that to partly to the increase and cost of food as well as people using their SNAP benefits,” said Karin Bright, Athens County Food Pantry president. 

Bright said it’s made it a challenge for the pantry. While the Southwest Ohio Food Bank has been helpful in providing food, they’re now finding it difficult to find more of that food.

“Now what we’re needing to do is more and more local purchases,” she said. “We call that the local purchasing option and we’re increasing that quite a bit.”

In 2020, the pantry created a Joe Burrow Hunger Relief Fund, which has helped it fund the food they need to serve the community. Helping solve food insecurity in Ohio is top of mind for the Bengals quarterback.

“That’s obviously a big focus of the foundation and then also mental health and also just broad things that we think we can help with whether it’s medical bills or scholarships or whatever it may be to help people,” said Burrow.

While he said he hasn’t personally seen an increase in demand for food since SNAP benefits rolled back to pre-pandemic levels in March, he said his foundation is focused on helping those who are in need.

“There’s always a need in different parts of the country to help those kinds of people that need it,” he said. “But those are always things that are on our mind.”

But in order to completely solve the issue of food insecurity Bright said it's important that we improve our economy. 

“We need to find ways that we can work on economic development, making sure there are jobs available that people can earn a living wage and take care of their families the way that they want to do it,” said Bright.

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