During Hunger Action Month, Allen County community organizations are connecting with The Ohio State University at Lima and OSU Extension for food kindness.
16 community organizations came together to celebrate kindness in the local food community as Ohio State delivered 200,000 shelf-stable meals. For the first time, Allen County is one of three locations selected for this 2023 Ohio State BeKind project. The food was delivered to Ohio State regional campuses in Lima and Marion, as well as the Hardin County Fairgrounds, via the official Ohio State Football equipment truck owned by Ken Blair. As part of these local communities, Extension organized the distribution of the assembled meals to local non-profit organizations in each county.
Addressing food security throughout the year takes an entire community. Champions spreading kindness in their local food community were recognized at each location. In Allen County, the following champions were recognized:
Activate Allen County
Allen County Board of DD
Allen East School District
Christian Corners Soup Kitchen
Crime Victims Services
Dr. John R. Snyder
Headstart
Learning Castle
Lima City Schools
Lima Rockies
Little Towers
Mercy Health
Ohio State University Extension, Allen County
Ohio State Lima
Perry Elementary School
Rhodes State College
SAFY
Shawnee Local Schools
St. Marks Community Center
Scott Shutt of Kewpee
West Ohio Food Bank
To contribute to healthier, hunger-free Ohio communities, meals were packed by 600 students, staff, faculty, alumni, and other volunteers on the Columbus campus on Tuesday evening, September 26. This is the fifth year Ohio State has brought together the Buckeye community and local Ohio communities to address food security through this kindness project, with food packing on the Columbus campus, and food distribution to food insecure counties throughout the state. This event can prompt conversations about food security with friends, families, colleagues, and neighbors.
The program is a collaboration among the Ohio State Buckeye community, including Ohio State student life, athletics, the chief wellness officer, the Alumni Association, the College of Food Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences and local OSU Extension teams, including SNAP-Ed community nutrition. Grant funding provided by Coca-Cola and the 9-11 Day.org Foundation.
