West Ohio Food Bank’s Programs
General Information
During the ‘08-’09 fiscal year provided 3,408,062 meals through a network of over 170 smaller member charities directly feeding hungry people throughout 11 counties. Our service area includes Allen, Auglaize, Hancock, Hardin, Mercer, Paulding, Putnam, Seneca, Shelby, Van Wert, and Wyandot counties.
The Food Bank must take advantage and consistently search out food and household items [accomplished through affiliation and membership within the West OHIO FOOD BANK - Network]. The following programs are provided:
Feeding America (formerly America’s Second Harvest) Donated Program – Offers donated foods from national companies (and national companies with local presence), which may carry a service maintenance charge of up to 18ยข per pound.
Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks and State Legislative monies we are able to provide:
Fresh Produce Initiative Program – Offers unprecedented donations of fresh fruits and vegetables, chickens & eggs from small family farmers throughout Ohio. WOFB distributed over 1.2 million pounds of produce.
Ohio Food Program – Nutritious shelf-stable food includes high protein items such as peanut butter, ground meats, tuna fish, received throughout the year for emergency pantries/emergency meal sites.
USDA – Federal Commodities Program – Nutritious variety of food items to supplement agencies’ “food mix” in meals ‘bagged up’ by emergency providers or ’served hot’ at meals sites provided monthly during the year.
Reclamation and Recovery Program – Currently operated in a room dedicated to sorting, cleaning, repackaging food into boxes. Grocery store items are received from CVS, Wal-Mart, and Kmart stores [through membership with Feeding America] as well as all food/grocery items received through local food drives. All items received as a result of food drives by schools, organizations and businesses throughout the year are processed through this program.
Mobile Food Pantry – Started 7 years ago to deliver quantities of food (as much as 10,000 lbs.) to designated distribution sites [so that a church or other qualifying non-profit organization can distribute those goods to needy families] in a farmers market-like atmosphere from folding tables set up in their parking lot for the occasion. This enables willing groups become significant players in meeting their area’s need without burdening them with the need for a permanent food storage/distribution facility, or the need for volunteers to drive to Lima to pick up food. [The fee charged for this service is only pennies on the dollar compared to the value of the food.]
Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) Senior Citizens Food Box – CSFP is a federal funded program for people who are 60+ years of age and whose household income is 130% or less of the federal poverty guidelines. Each month we provide a 32-40 lb box of nutritious food to 1,327 seniors throughout WOFB’s 11 county service area.
WOFB Senior Citizens Food Box – WOFB has been providing seniors in Lima with food boxes the past 8 years. We currently provided almost 300 seniors (50+ years old at 200% of poverty), living independently, and Section 8-housing challenged adults in seven housing complexes with nutritious food items each month to supplement their pantries. (These numbers are down from 500 monthly due to qualifying for the CSFP program.) Limited funding restricts the expansion outside of Allen County. Currently UW of Greater Lima (UWGL) helps fund this program.
Lima City Schools Weekend Back Pack – During ‘08-’09 academic year WOFB provided 500 elementary students within 5 schools a back-pack of nutritious food to take home each Friday. These students are on free/reduced lunch &/or breakfasts. Without the Back Pack Program most of these children may not eat from lunch on Friday until they arrive at school on Monday morning. Due to the success and requests, we provided summer bags (10 wks) to 250 students. Currently, UW of Greater Lima (UWGL) helps fund this program.
Flood Disaster Relief – During natural disasters in WOFB’s 11 county service area; water, cleaning supplies, and food items are provided to member charities assisting their community with disaster relief efforts.
