The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank has been caring for our communities by fighting food insecurity here in Northeast Ohio for more than 40 years. The Foodbank works with local hunger-relief partners to collect and distribute food and other necessary items in 8 different Northeast Ohio counties. In the last decade alone, the Foodbank has more than doubled its output of groceries to local families in need.

It was clear in 2020 that while the Akron facility was distributing more food than ever anticipated, food scarcity was not going away. The Foodbank needed to take action to become equipped with the tools, space and staff to continue to support families in need.

In February of 2020, we announced our $1 million dollar commitment to support the Akron-Canton Foodbank’s Growing for Good: The Campaign to Reach Further and Feed More project.  The project plans included not only expanding the existing Akron facility to maximize output and streamline customer experience, but also to build a new Stark County Campus to engage a broader community and increase food distribution.  

Today, the 40,000 square foot Stark County Campus is up and running, piloting new food security initiatives and providing regular access to fresh fruits and vegetables, shelf-stable pantry items, bread and dairy products to neighbors in need through the new Keith D. Monda Family Food Pantry & Resource Center.  The pantry is open to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and has already distributed more than 105,000 pounds of food in its first six months of operation.

The Stark County Campus staff and volunteers work diligently to feed local families, and they prioritize keeping pantry visitors comfortable and safe while doing so. The new facility uses Feeding America’s OrderAhead system—a shopping option that allows community members to browse pantry shelves virtually. If shoppers do not have a smartphone or access to a computer, they can shop online by using a pantry kiosk. The items selected by the shopper are then collected and bagged by Foodbank volunteers and available to be scheduled for pick up.

Foodbank visitors have the option to leave the pantry not only with the ingredients and supplies for healthy living, but also with the education on how to use them. The Danbury Senior Living Teaching Kitchen at the Stark County Campus has begun hosting cooking demonstrations for pantry staff, volunteers, guests and community members. Those in attendance can watch chefs cook hot, delicious and most importantly, nutritious meals using food items found within the Foodbank’s pantry and from its network of hunger-relief partners.

The facility is also equipped with other resources to care for the overall health of pantry participants. The Aultman Health Foundation Resource room located inside the pantry is a dedicated space for individuals to have access to health screenings, legal aid, job readiness and more.

The Growing for Good Project continues to make progress on the organization’s ambitious goal to ensure everyone has access to nourishing food.

We are inspired by the impact that the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank has on our community, and proud to play a small role in supporting the incredible impact this new facility has already made.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer visit akroncantonfoodbank.org/volunteer or call 330.535.6900.