The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank kicked off the 34th annual Harvest for Hunger Campaign in Akron today. Nearly 400 guests came together at the John S. Knight Center to learn how they can get involved and support local hunger-relief efforts.
The Harvest for Hunger Campaign is the Foodbank’s largest fundraising campaign and helps support food distribution all year long. The community’s support directly correlates to the organization’s ability to serve neighbors experiencing hunger.
“What I appreciate most about the campaign is that it’s only successful when the entire community rallies around it. It’s our collective support that moves us toward a thriving community free of hunger,” said Katie Carver Reed, Foodbank vice president and chief operating officer.
The Foodbank’s goal for the campaign is to provide the equivalent of 4.4 million meals, including $1.45 million and 100,000 pounds of food. All proceeds from the campaign go directly to providing food for the local community, distributed through the Foodbank’s network of 630 food pantries, meal sites, shelters, children and older adult programs across eight counties.
To kick start the campaign, Carver Reed announced a matching gift challenge. Today through March 9, donations can be matched up to $47,500, thanks to The J.M. Smucker Co., Shearer’s, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and generous friends of the Foodbank.
To illustrate how important it is that the community support the campaign, the Foodbank highlighted its impact in 2024 through a video. Last year, it provided more meals than any other year in the organization’s history, including the first year of the pandemic. It distributed enough food for 31.4 million meals in the region, a 16% increase over 2023. The video showed people shopping food pantry shelves, hunger-relief programs picking up food in the Foodbank’s warehouse, and teams of volunteers working hard together.
The keynote message for this year’s kickoff was related to eliminating the stigma people experience when asking for help with groceries.
“Far too many of our friends and neighbors experience stigma when seeking help. We believe that elevating the stories of our neighbors and honoring their strength and resilience is a way to welcome anyone that may need our support,” said Carver Reed.
Dan Flowers, Foodbank president and CEO, concluded the program with a personal story associated with stigma and how it relates to the Foodbank’s work.
“Stigma stands in the way of people getting the help they need. How many people in difficult situations tragically choose desperation over the fear, shame and humiliation of going to get help. It is an entirely unnecessary, counterproductive barrier that stands between us and our mission at the Foodbank to help people,” said Flowers.
The campaign is led by co-chairs Laura Duda, senior vice president and chief communications officer at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and Ron Paydo, market president for the Akron/Canton market for Huntington Bank. They encouraged guests to support the campaign by coordinating food and funds drives, through employee giving campaigns, volunteering and participating in Check Out Hunger, the donation collection that takes place in many local supermarkets and at GetGo gas stations.
The Harvest for Hunger Campaign is a collaborative partnership between the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley and the Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio. The campaign focuses on fighting hunger across 21 counties in Northeast Ohio. If interested in participating in the 2025 Harvest for Hunger Campaign, please visit akroncantonfoodbank.org/harvest.
Thank you to Diamond Sponsor FirstEnergy for its support of the luncheon.