Local Food Pantries Across Summit County Feel the Impact of Federal Aid Cuts

Local food pantries like the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank and the Hudson Food Pantry are facing high demand with a low supply. After this issue had already been apparent, President Donald Trump announced on October 27 that the USDA would not be giving out Aid past November 1. 

This announcement made by President Trump is related to the government shutdown, leaving food banks to look for relief themselves. While food was already thin amongst food banks and distributors before, the USDA announced Friday that its funding had simply “run dry”. 

This is America’s longest time going without aid from the federal government since 2018. Prior to the November 1 announcement, food banks and distributors still struggled to keep a steady food supply. 

The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, signed by President Trump, included significant cuts to funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, which one in eight Americans rely on to buy groceries.

Currently, at least twenty-five states plan to remove their food benefits, stopping them just before Thanksgiving. 

The bill will reduce federal funding by an estimated $300 billion through 2034.  As a result, roughly 3.2 million adults, 1 million between the ages of 55 through 64, could be at risk of losing their food assistance.  

Local food pantries say they are feeling the pinch. Since January, food and toiletries have been harder to come by. But Dan Flowers, CEO of Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank, said the problem wasn’t totally unexpected. 

“We knew there was a new administration in Washington, so we kinda came into the year anticipating some potential cuts, and we found them, ” Flowers said. 

About twenty percent of Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank resources have been cut so far, according to Flowers.  “We’re gonna be about two and a half to three million pounds down in USDA food this year,” he said. 

Federal funding changes are not the only thing impacting organizations’ ability to obtain food. Inflation is also a problem.

Lorann Murphy, Pantry Manager at Hudson Food Pantry, said inflation has disrupted local organizations and other non-profits. “I’m seeing with the inflation uptick in people and demand, and a downtick in Akron-Canton’s regional food bank’s ability to have food,” said Murphy. 

Murphy said she has been experiencing these shortage issues since January, yet they are feeding more mouths than ever. “In 2024, at this point, you know, we had 546 households served.  This year we have 652 households,” she said. 

To help compensate, they have been “shopping for deals,” according to Murphy, at places like Walmart and Dollar Tree. She said that other food pantries have also been using this tactic, because city businesses receive products in bulk and sell them cheaper than non-profit distributors. 

“I think we’re all doing that. I’ve talked to other pantry managers, and they all say, ‘Yeah, we can buy it cheaper at Walmart,’” she said. Murphy said Costco donates fruit that they remove from shelves when restocking fresh produce, and local businesses help with other food products as well.

Churches and their volunteers have been working and contributing what they can, but special dietary food and higher-end items like lotion are hard to keep stocked, Murphy said. 

“We have churches that donate, you know, toilet paper, paper towels, and we have a lot of bakeries in the area who are incredibly generous, she said. 

Although Akron Canton Regional Food Bank distributes, it still has two pantries of its own. According to Flowers, a heavy amount of donations from Food company partnerships, USDA, the state of Ohio, and individual donors.

Murphy says that even a twenty-five-cent raise in prices impacts the pantry drastically. “I buy a hundred or so products from the Dollar Tree every month, I mean, it seems like you know, but if you’re working on a budget, there isn’t a lot,” she said. 

The USDA is one of the biggest contributors to the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank, with 47 percent of its food coming from the department and the state of Ohio. The USDA provides the highest quality products and bulkier food items like chicken, pork, and turkey, according to Flowers.

Patrons of both organizations can now expect their food, such as meat and other protein, to be in shorter supply. Flowers said that their agencies are “concerned” about the cuts of essential protein meat, and that the variety may be different within the coming months.

“We’re fortunate to have pretty good equilibrium with supply and demand, but when there’s a shift in something as critical as government food for us, it does have a material impact on the diversity of our products,” said Flowers. 

Despite the challenges, Flowers said he is confident that the Food Bank will be able to keep serving northeast Ohio. 

“This community’s generosity it’s made it so we haven’t lost ground, compared to last year, in the light of the biggest cuts we’ve ever seen; it’s very extraordinary,” said Flowers.