The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank will kick off the 34th annual Harvest for Hunger Campaign with a luncheon on Feb. 28 at the John S. Knight Center in downtown Akron. Community members interested in learning more about the Campaign and how they can get involved are encouraged to attend. Tickets can be purchased online at akroncantonfoodbank.org/rsvp.
The luncheon hopes to rally community members, businesses and organizations together to support local hunger relief during a critical time for the Foodbank. In 2024, it provided access to 31.4 million meals, a 16% increase from 2023 and more meals than any other year in its history.
“Last year, our food bank saw a significant increase in the number of families seeking help, the number of visits to our network, and the amount of food being distributed from our facilities. The demand for food is at an all-time high and we need the community’s support to ensure we can meet that demand,” said Dan Flowers, Foodbank president and CEO. “It’s hard to predict what 2025 will bring, but with the community’s support of the Harvest for Hunger Campaign, we’ll continue to serve families struggling with hunger.”
The Harvest for Hunger Campaign is vital to the Foodbank’s ability to meet the demands of the community. It is the organization’s largest fundraising campaign and helps support food distribution all year long. Support from the community helps ensure families struggling with hunger have a place to turn during their time of need.
This year’s campaign is being led by Laura Duda, senior vice president and chief communications officer at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., and Ron Paydo, market president for the Akron/Canton market for Huntington Bank.
“Food insecurity affects more than 73,000 people, including 1 in 5 children in Summit County. But even one person is too many. There is no need more important to satisfy than this most basic of needs: the need for nutritious food,” said Duda. “All of us at Team Goodyear value the work of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, and we are proud supporters of Harvest for Hunger.”
“Huntington’s purpose of looking out for people aligns with the Foodbank’s vision to have a thriving community free of hunger,” said Paydo. “The Harvest for Hunger Campaign brings a broad awareness to food insecurity that is prevalent in our region and is experienced in each of the eight Northeast Ohio counties the Foodbank serves. Please join me and Laura by supporting the campaign. Together, we can make a positive change in the lives of individuals in our communities.”
This year’s Campaign goal is to provide the equivalent of 4.4 million meals for the communities served within the Foodbank’s eight-county service area, including $1.45 million and 100,000 pounds of food.
The Harvest for Hunger Campaign unites the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and the Second Harvest Food Banks of the Mahoning Valley and North Central Ohio. The four food banks in Northeast Ohio focus on fighting hunger across 21 counties in the region.
To reserve a ticket for the luncheon, please visit akroncantonfoodbank.org/rsvp. For more information on the Campaign, visit akroncantonfoodbank.org/harvest.
Special thank you to Diamond Sponsor, FirstEnergy, for their support of the event.