Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank announced capital campaign

The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank announced the launch of its $11.5 million capital campaign on Feb. 20. Surrounded by community leaders, campaign volunteers, elected officials, board members and early donors, President and CEO Dan Flowers shared the food bank’s vision of a hunger-free community and how a successful campaign will help achieve this vision.

Growing for Good: The Campaign to Reach Further and Feed More will help fund the building of a new facility in Canton and will help support expansion at the Akron facility. Dependent on community support, the campaign will increase the food bank’s capacity to source and distribute even more food to the eight counties it serves.

Flowers urged community members to support the campaign by visiting www.Growing4Good.org.

“We need your help in reaching our bold goal, in ensuring that no family in Northeast Ohio faces hunger,” Flowers said. “We’re $3 million away from achieving our vision of a hunger-free future. Gifts of all sizes are needed, and we hope the community will stand with us, lock arms and turn this dream into a reality.”

Referencing years of research, the food bank recognizes there are still families going without food in Carroll, Holmes, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas and Wayne counties. Despite the millions of meals distributed in 2019, a meal gap still exists. But the food bank’s current warehouse has reached its maximum capacity, limiting its ability to increase distribution and therefore leaving families in the community at risk of hunger.

“The food bank envisions a world where there’s enough food for everyone and there is easy access to healthy and affordable foods for our community members. Hunger is a solvable problem, and we have the answer,” Flowers said. “This campaign is a significant investment in our community’s future. With your collective support, we will change the history of hunger relief.”

William Shivers, president of The Huntington National Bank’s Canton and Mahoning Valley regions and food bank board chair, and Janelle Lee, director of client engagement for MAGNET, are serving as the campaign co-chairs.

“I want to help create resources, opportunities and solutions for hunger relief,” Lee said. “I believe in and support the mission, vision and goals of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and will do what I can to be an advocate and help fight against hunger.”

The co-chairs helped recognize and thank food bank board members and the campaign cabinet members for their support. The cabinet is comprised of community leaders representing a variety of industries across multiple counties, all who are volunteering their time to create awareness about the food bank’s campaign and its hunger-relief efforts.

“The food bank is on the cusp of ensuring no one in our community goes without a nourishing meal, and I’m honored to be a part of this work,” Shivers said. “We stand behind this campaign and are confident we’ll see a thriving community free of hunger.”

Concluding the program was recognition of early campaign donors who have helped advance the food bank’s campaign goal by more than 70 percent. Leadership support, $500,000 or more, has been received by American Electric Power Foundation, FirstEnergy Foundation, The Hoover Foundation, the Jeffrey Fisher family, the Keith D. Monda family, The J.M. Smucker Company, Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton and Stark Community Foundation.