With SNAP Disrupted, MOFC, Pantries Ask For Help Holding the Line Against Hunger

Regional leaders asked to step up during snap benefits disruption caused by shutdown

COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the first time in our nation’s history, the USDA announced that SNAP benefits for the month of November would be disrupted due to the federal government shutdown. This is an unprecedented tipping point in the fight against hunger in America and a historic blow to the millions of people who may soon need the help of local pantries and food banks. Mid-Ohio Food Collective has been feeding our hungry neighbors for 45 years. Today, we are raising the alarm and asking for help as we brace for a level of need like we’ve never seen before.

SNAP (aka food stamps) does more to fight hunger than any food bank ever could. About one in eight Americans relies on SNAP. It supports seniors, kids, working families and people with disabilities in our schools, workplaces, and communities. More than 1.4 million Ohioans (including over 320,000 in MOFC’s 20-county service area) are likely to lose much of their grocery budgets while SNAP payments are paused. For every meal food banks provide, SNAP can provide up to nine.

Without SNAP, more children will go to school without breakfast. More seniors and people with disabilities will be forced to make meals out of cheap staples like plain rice or pasta—or nothing at all. And with no end in sight, there could be less food on many of our neighbors’ Thanksgiving tables.

We cannot make up for this loss. Food banks are already stretched thin. Despite this, our work will continue.

We cannot make up for this loss. Food banks are already stretched thin. Last year was MOFC’s busiest ever; demand was 58% higher in 2024 than at the peak of the pandemic. Service numbers were on track for another record before this week’s announcement about SNAP. On top of that, the USDA cut $2.4 million worth of funding and food from MOFC this spring. There have been substantial cuts at the state level, too, bringing the total value of food and product lost to government cuts to $5.5 million.

Despite all of this, our work will continue. More than that, MOFC is contacting local government partners and corporate donors to find every possible source of funds, food, and support. We are asking for additional bulk donations from food donors, raising money to fill pantry shelves, and calling on the whole community to step up in ways large and small. We need your immediate support.

Some relief has been announced by the State of Ohio in the form of temporary funding for food banks and direct help for Ohio’s poorest residents. This support is timely and needed; we are grateful for it. But the sheer size of SNAP and the pain of its loss will still be felt until the federal government finishes its work. For now, it’s up to central and eastern Ohioans to help one another. 

It’s up to central and eastern Ohioans to help one another.

To our customers, old and new: We are here for you, but it is reasonable to expect longer lines and less food in each cart over the coming weeks. Please be patient with food pantry staff as they try to do more with less. Thank you for your grace as we get through this unprecedented time together.  

To our pantry partners: Food supplies will be tight. We are exploring emergency options to procure more food. We are seeking out new donors and preparing as best we can to make sure your shelves are as full as possible.

To our corporate partners: SNAP recipients are your employees and customers, too. Please consider donating directly or helping your employees with a workplace giving campaign to MOFC or a food drive for your local pantry. And for those of you in the agriculture, food, or grocery business, give us a call if you have product to spare. We can get it where it is needed most.

To our local government partners: If you can step up, now is the time to help us answer the call. Please consider doing everything you can to ensure your residents have continued access to food during the coming weeks.

To our neighbors: We need you to donate and volunteer. Visit mofc.org to learn how. If you can’t give money, food, or time, then you can give your voice. Call us at the food bank or connect with us on social media to share your food assistance story. Together, we can make our voices heard. 

To our elected leaders: Hungry families need food, not political fighting and brinkmanship. Food banks and pantries will do what we can at the local and regional level to keep our neighbors fed, but ending this—and restoring SNAP—is up to you. You can make the choice to fund critical programs that keep our neighbors fed, healthy, and safe. But the clock is ticking. Our neighbors are counting on you.

We’re asking our community to help us hold the line against hunger. A hunger-free future is still possible. A hunger-free tomorrow is up to us—together.

A storm is coming. We have prepared as best we can, and we’re asking our community to help us hold the line against hunger. Now is the time to hold tight to our neighbors. Please give what you can when you can. Call your local pantry; ask what they need. Donate to MOFC. A hunger-free future is still possible. A hunger-free tomorrow is up to us—together.

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About Mid-Ohio Food Collective
Mid-Ohio Food Collective (MOFC) is the largest hunger relief organization in central and eastern Ohio. Through our five assets (the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, Mid-Ohio Farm, Mid-Ohio Farmacy, Mid-Ohio Kitchen, and Mid-Ohio Market), MOFC addresses the root causes of hunger while working with more than 600 partner agencies in 20 counties to feed hundreds of thousands of hungry Ohioans every year. Learn how we’re co-creating hunger-free, healthier communities at www.mofc.org.