During Hunger Action Month, community organizations in Ohio counties have connected with The Ohio State University (OSU) and local OSU Extension teams for food kindness. In Ohio, 1,653,610 residents are facing hunger – and of them 505,430 are children (Feeding America). See the most recent Ohio Food Insecurity Data and use this lookup tool to search for food insecurity data in your county.
Food Packing Service Project
To contribute to healthier, hunger-free Ohio communities, students, staff, faculty, alumni, and other volunteers representing numerous universities came together to pack 350,000 meals on the Ohio State Columbus campus on September 11, 2024. The BE KIND food packing event had two sessions with hundreds of volunteers lead by Pack Shack for a crazy-fun, high-energy, high impact feed-the-funnel party! Students, staff, athletes, employees, alumni, fans, and families pay forward and participate in this great act of kindness. Watch this fun video from a former party.
Food Distribution Service Project
On Friday, September 13, community organizations in southwest Ohio counties came together to celebrate kindness in the local food community as Ohio State delivered more than 233,000 shelf-stable meals. The food was delivered via the official Ohio State Football equipment truck with distribution points in Highland/Adams/Brown, Hamilton, and Montgomery counties. As part of these local communities, OSU Extension organized the distribution of the assembled meals to local non-profit organizations in each county. Addressing food security throughout the year takes an entire community.
This event can prompt conversations about food security with friends, families, colleagues, and neighbors. The program is a collaboration among the OSU Buckeye community, including Ohio State Student Life, Athletics, the Chief Wellness Officer, the Alumni Association, the College of Food Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) and local OSU Extension teams, including SNAP-Ed and EFNEP community nutrition. Grant funding was provided by the 9-11 Day Foundation and Coca-Cola.
Additional Food Insecurity Information
Project Overviews
2022 Urban October Overview Including Food Kindness:
- 2022 Urban October Story (CFAES News)
- OSU Kindness Food Insecurity Packing & Distribution (media coverage)
- Complete 2022 Urban October Archive
2021 Urban October Overview Including Food Kindness:
- Urban October News Article (including video)
- Food Distribution News Article (including video)
- Complete 2021 Urban October Archive