By Andi Anderson
In rural communities across Ohio, food pantries are struggling to keep up with growing demand while coping with federal assistance cuts. One example is Morgan County’s mobile pantry in Stockport, where volunteers hand out basic food items like cereal, pasta, and beans.
“We try to provide a three-day supply of food,” said Stefanie Thompson, executive director of Morgan County United Ministries. “But it’s tight, especially for larger families.”
Due to recent federal funding reductions, her organization receives fewer supplies from the local food bank. “These boxes are about five items lighter,” Thompson added.
Across Ohio, shipments from the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) were suddenly cancelled following a $500 million federal cut.
Two other programs that helped food banks buy fresh produce from local farms—the Local Food for Schools and Local Food Purchase Assistance programs—were also discontinued.
Eva Bloom from the SE Ohio Foodbank said, “We lost about 163,000 pounds of food.” Donations in rural areas remain low, leaving these regions more reliant on state and federal support than urban centres.
In Morgan County, food insecurity is at 17.5%, above the state average. The mobile pantry now sees nearly 500 visitors a month—and that number is rising.
“We’re seeing more families every month,” Thompson said.
Joree Novotny of the Ohio Association of Food Banks said their network served over 3.5 million pantry visits last quarter—far beyond pre-pandemic levels.
A new House-backed bill could worsen the crisis, proposing $300 billion in SNAP cuts and stricter work requirements. “It remains to be seen to what extent SNAP will exist,” Novotny warned.
For residents like Jeanne Long, already feeling the effects, further cuts would deepen the struggle. “I just have to use the money to buy it elsewhere,” she said. “It does make it a little harder.”
Photo Credit: pexels-julia-m-cameron
Categories: Ohio, Rural Lifestyle