Millersburg Food Run donates $3,600 to Love Center Food Pantry

The seventh annual Millersburg Food Run, held July 27, raised $3,600 for the Love Center Food Pantry. Every year since 2018 (except in 2020), the Millersburg Food Run has held a charity foot race from Hipp Station to help address food insecurities in Holmes County. Because the Love Center can purchase food for an average of $0.10-$0.18/pound, this year’s donation will help it purchase as much as 360,000 pounds of food to support local families.

The Millersburg Food Run is hosted by the Millersburg Seventh-day Adventist Church, with the proceeds of the race going to the Love Center Food Pantry for its operation and food purchasing expenses.

“Hosting the race every year has become a highlight for our congregation," said Eva Durbin, race director. "While it’s a lot of work, especially for our volunteers on race day, we enjoy knowing we are doing something meaningful for our community.”

Edgar and Polly Raber, directors of the Love Center Food Pantry, appreciate donations of any size to help support this ministry. 

“With the ongoing government shutdown, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits will not be going out in November," Edgar said. "A lot of families will be facing a food shortage and will be turning to the Love Center Food Pantry to help feed their families.” 

The SNAP program helps one in eight Americans buy groceries. Three-hundred families visit the Love Center every month, and over the course of a year, over 750 families utilize this resource. These numbers are forecasted to increase with the pause in SNAP benefits.

With a large donation of frozen items from an area grocery store and affordable turkeys from the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, the Love Center is ready to assist local families through the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays.

The race has become a successful fundraiser thanks to the partnership and financial contribution of many area businesses. This year’s financial donors included Berlin Village Inn, Cline Plumbing, Denco Marketing Co., Dr. Brad Welsh Dentistry & Associates, Dutch Craft Furniture, Dutchman Hospitality Group Inc., East Holmes Family Care Inc., Jackson Family, Guggisberg Cheese Inc., Kauffman Lawn Furniture, Killbuck Savings Bank Co., Millersburg Electric Inc., Pomerene Hospital, Walmart and Wolf Creek Veterinary Services. Gift basket giveaway items were donated by AutoZone Auto Parts, Berlin Farmstead, E&H Ace Hardware, Jitter’s Coffee House, Rozuk Radiology, Star Brite Car Wash, Wallhouse Hotel, Walnut Creek Cheese, Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Browns. Other businesses donated items for the refreshment table and for the participants' goodie baskets. Each contribution helped make the race a success for the participants and the Love Center Food Pantry.

Anyone interested in supporting the Love Center Food Pantry can visit https://lovecenterholmescounty.org/.

The next Millersburg Food Run is scheduled for July 26, 2026.