Summit County approves $250,000 emergency grant to Akron Canton Regional Food Bank as SNAP benefits risk interruption

Summit County Council on a voice vote adopted an emergency resolution authorizing the county executive to execute a grant agreement with the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank for up to $250,000 to provide immediate food assistance if federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits lapse.

County Executive Eileen Shapiro told the council the federal funding uncertainty could leave tens of thousands of county residents without SNAP benefits starting in November. “We here in Summit County, hopefully, with your assistance, will do as much as we can to make sure that people have food on their table for as long as we can,” Shapiro said at the meeting.

Greta (county executive staff) and other county officials described the $250,000 as an interim measure that will be added to $324,000 previously approved this year to purchase food for the county’s hunger-relief network while state and federal officials work on a longer-term solution. County staff said the food bank estimates $1 of donated/purchased food roughly equals three meals; staff also noted the county could not replace the full federal spending, which they estimated at about $15.5 million per month that flows into the community via SNAP.

Katie Carver Reed, vice president and chief operating officer of the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank, told council that 42,686 households and 77,160 individuals in Summit County receive SNAP benefits, representing more than 13% of the county population. She said the food bank and its regional network of 178 emergency programs had already distributed more than 10 million pounds of food in Summit County through Sept. 30 and that demand is high due to inflation and cost-of-living pressures.

Carver Reed described operational constraints caused by a federal shutdown: USDA commodity ordering generally must be planned in advance, and the food bank can receive items already ordered but cannot place new long-lead orders while federal operations are suspended. She said the food bank is using private donations and manufacturer support to meet demand now and will use county funds to purchase shelf-stable proteins, canned goods and supplemental fresh produce targeted to gaps in supply.

The executive’s office said it had reached out to the governor’s office and the County Commissioners Association of Ohio for coordination but had no certainty about state or federal action. The county plans outreach to cities and townships to seek matching municipal and private donations modeled after earlier county emergency programs. The council moved to suspend the rules and adopt the late-filed emergency resolution, which passed on a voice vote.