Workers handing out food at Faith Fellowship’s food pantry. (Photo by Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal.)
Ohio’s food banks are set to receive $7.5 million less in the state budget than they did last year. Some lawmakers quibble with calling that a cut, and there’s a logic to their argument. The additional funding was a one-time supplement, approved in 2023, while the state was flush with federal COVID relief dollars. Now, some argue, the economy is back on its feet, there are plenty of job openings, and it’s time for the state to dial back assistance programs.
But the people maintaining that safety net say the need is greater than it’s ever been…