Katherine Ungar, Senior Policy Associate at Children’s Defense Fund Ohio, joins the podcast to talk about the Hunger Free Schools Ohio coalition. Sarah and Katherine talk about how important school meals are to child development and wellbeing, how free school meals can reduce household stress, increase financial stability, and lower administrative burden on families and schools, and how Ohio can get this done for its students, families, and schools.  

Hope Lane-Gavin, our new Director of Nutrition Policy & Programs, joins Just a Bite to talk a little bit about herself and her perspective as a former Statehouse staffer and current advocate. With Governor DeWine releasing his budget proposal, Hope also talked about what she was encouraged to see within his proposal and what she thinks the Ohio General Assembly should debate during the state budget process. She leaves us with some advice and encouragement as advocates embark on this 6-month process! 

References:   

Learn more about the Ohio Association of Foodbanks’ funding request. 

Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.      

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!       

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!      

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need. 

Sarah sat down OAF director of health initiatives, Zach Reat, to talk about the upcoming changes to Medicaid and the impact it will have on Ohioans. Just like the changes to SNAP and the permanent improvements to summer meals, these changes are due to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, which de-coupled the Medicaid Continuous Coverage provision from the Public Health Emergency and set a clear start date for states to begin redeterminations of Medicaid cases.

Joree and Sarah sit down to discuss the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 and some of the provisions related to our work and the Ohioans our network serves. This bill was passed in late December 2022; it made historic investments in child nutrition programs, but also established an end date for enhanced SNAP benefits that have helped 1.5 million Ohioans withstand high food costs and inflation. Listen in to learn more. 

References:   

Want to do a SNAP benefits checkup so you know you're receiving your correct benefit amount? Visit our website to connect with a SNAP outreach partner.  

Need to make sure your contact information is up to date with Ohio Department of Job and Family Services? Visit https://benefits.ohio.gov/  

You can find the full bill text here.  

Feeding America’s press statement on the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. 

OAF’s press releases thanking Governor DeWine and the Ohio Legislature for their support for purchasing Ohio-produced protein items in October 2022 and for their support for additional food purchases in December 2022.  

Learn more about Advocates for Ohio’s Future’s request for more funding to county Job and Family Services offices to prepare for increased demand and call volume. 

Previous Just a Bite episodes covering Child Nutrition Reauthorization and the Summer Food Service Program. 

Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.      

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!       

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!      

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.   

What will the new year bring? What have been the highlights and hardships of 2022? We reflect briefly on themes of 2022 for Ohio’s foodbank network, the Ohioans we serve, and all of us. The Ohio Association of Foodbanks wishes you a happy new year, full of light and joy! We look forward to working with you toward shared prosperity and dignity for every person in 2023. 

References:   

Look back with us at 2022 by reading our annual report.

Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.      

Listen to the royalty free song used in this episode, O Holy Night, here. 

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!       

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!      

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.   

What can bring the USDA, the Ohio Departments of Agriculture, Job and Family Services, and Education, Ohio foodbanks, and 50+ local farmers, growers, producers, and suppliers together? Ohio CAN! Joree sits down with our colleague Carrie Harshbarger as well as Tracy Intihar and Ainsley Lightcap from the Ohio Department of Agriculture to talk about this new public-private partnership that strives to both stabilize and expand markets for local farmers while meeting the nutritional needs of Ohioans experiencing food hardship. 

References:   

For more information about the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA) from USDA Agriculture Marketing Service, visit: https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food-to-usda/lfpacap 

Farmers and producers whose products are grown and produced within 400 miles of the city of Columbus are eligible to apply. Ohio CAN will prioritize applicants who identify as historically underrepresented. For more information about how to get involved as a supplier, visit the Ohio CAN Program website. 

Outside of this range? Each state has its own LFPA program; find state agency contacts to reach out for other opportunities here. 

Read the press release from USDA Secretary Vilsack announcing an expansion of LFPA.

Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.      

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!       

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!      

We are licensed to use the song, Goals and Dreams by Boomer, which is distributed and owned by PremiumBeat.     

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.   

Sarah talks with Brittney Madison from Northern Ohioans for Budget Legislation Equality (NOBLE) and Universal Health Care Action Network (UHCAN) Ohio about how they intentionally and consistently engage impacted people in their advocacy efforts.

References:   

Learn more about NOBLE at their website or email Brittney at [email protected]   

Learn more about UHCAN Ohio at their website, on Facebook and Twitter.   

Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.           

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!            

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!           

We are licensed to use the song, Goals and Dreams by Boomer, which is distributed and owned by PremiumBeat.          

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.  

Joree recaps some of anti-hunger priorities for the final spending package during the lame duck period of the 117th U.S. Congress after her trip to Washington, D.C. this week. OAF urges Congress to pass Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR) provisions in the final spending package of the year. This ould be the first time child nutrition programs will be reauthorized and improved since 2010. Congress should also extend the Child Tax Credit (CTC), which was so vital for Ohio families to afford basic needs. Joree walks you through the process and lets you know what you can do to ensure these important provisions are passed.  

OAF’s Zach Reat, Josh Newland of Valley View Health Centers, Community Action Committee of Pike County, and Julie Grasson of Toledo/Lucas County CareNet join Sarah to talk about the 10th open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace! They talk about some of the lessons learned during the early years of the ACA and what improvements to the ACA and Marketplace they would like to see as Ohio recovers from the pandemic. 

You may be eligible for Marketplace healthcare coverage! Open enrollment begins on November 1, 2022 until January 15, 2023.  

References:   

If you need Marketplace navigator services, you can visit getcoveredohio.org or call (833) 628-4467 to schedule an appointment or ask questions.  

Check out the Get Covered Ohio campaign on Facebook and Twitter. 

Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.      

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!       

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!      

We are licensed to use the song, Goals and Dreams by Boomer, which is distributed and owned by PremiumBeat.     

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.   

The Get Covered Ohio project is supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $2.33 million with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government. 

Sarah sits down with Jen Miller, executive director of Ohio League of Women Voters, to talk about the upcoming election, how to make a voting plan, and why we all should vote in every election.  

Make sure you make a plan to vote for the midterm election on November 8th! Learn more below about resources available to you to make voting as easy as possible. 

References:   

Register to vote, update your voter registration, request an absentee ballot and more at the Ohio Secretary of State’s website here.  

If you have questions or need to report a voting issue, please call or text the non-partisan election protection hotline at (866) OUR-VOTE or (866) 687-8683.  

Find the League of Women Voters voter guide at https://www.vote411.org/  

Learn about your judicial candidates and Ohio’s court system at https://www.judicialvotescount.org/  

Find the early vote schedule at your local Board of Elections here.  

Find your polling location for election day here and learn more about voter ID requirements here.  

Learn more and connect with the Ohio League of Women Voters on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and their website. 

Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.      

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!       

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!      

We are licensed to use the song, Goals and Dreams by Boomer, which is distributed and owned by PremiumBeat.     

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.