GROVE CITY – During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mid-Ohio Food Bank has seen demand for its services surge.
The agency distributed 23% more food from March to Dec. 31, 2020, than it did for the same period in 2019, Food Bank Public Relations Manager Malik Perkins told the Mount Vernon News. In Knox County, the Food Bank served 3,660 families during that time, with 22% of the families receiving food boxes for the first time.
The Food Bank delivers food to partner agencies which distribute the food boxes, Perkins said. In Knox County, the partner agencies include food pantries and other nonprofit groups.
So far, the Food Bank has been able to keep up with the increased demand, Perkins said. It uses donated funds and government grants to purchase food in bulk.
“Thankfully, the community has responded,” he said. “People have been willing to give and be supportive during this time, which means a lot to us because there are so many people in our communities that are hurting right now.”
Donations go a long way.
The Food Bank’s bulk-buying power allows it to purchase groceries economically from its retail partners, Perkins said.
“We’re proud to say that more than half the food we distribute is fresh food — fresh fruits and vegetables,” he said. “We distribute a combination of things — proteins, vegetables, nonperishables — it’s a little bit of everything.”
The Food Bank, which serves 20 counties, is headquartered in Grove City where it has a warehouse and a food pantry. It was founded in 1980.
“We find it unacceptable for thousands of our neighbors — most of them children and seniors — to go hungry,” the organization said on its website. “We aim to provide efficient, effective ways for hungry people to meet their basic food and nutrition needs.”
The organization expects demand to remain high for several years as the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects linger, Perkins said.
“Even once we make it out of COVID-19, we know that it’s going to take a longer time for some people to recover, especially if people were on the poverty line or below the poverty line,” he said. “We expect it will take a few years for things to kind of catch back up, and there will continue to be a high demand.”
The agency provides an online tool for finding partner agencies that distribute food.
You can donate to the food bank through its website at www.midohiofoodbank.org.
