Just a Bite

This episode might be a tear-jerker! The association’s director emerita, Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, and executive director, Joree Novotny, join Just a Bite. The two leaders take the time to celebrate Lisa’s legacy and lifelong commitment to Ohio’s most vulnerable and reflect on Joree’s vision for the future of the association and her tenure. During this episode, they share what their successes and challenges are, how they have been feeling during the transition, and what they are looking forward to in the future.  

Thank you to the countless partners, foodbankers, and staff who have congratulated Lisa and Joree, wished them well, and recounted memories shared with them! We want to especially thank Kelly Hatas of Hocking Athens Perry Community Action/Southeast Ohio Foodbank, Kristin Warzocha of the Greater Cleveland Foodbank (GCFB), Matt Habash of Mid-Ohio Food Collective (MOFC), Michelle Riley and Lee Alder of the Foodbank, Inc, Juanita Burden of MOFC, Jess Morgan of GCFB, Tim White of MOFC, Carrie Dennis of OAF, and Jessica Renwick of OAF for sharing their well wishes and thanks with Joree, Lisa, and our listeners! 

References: 

Learn more about the leadership transition announcement here. 

Listen to our podcast episode about Lisa’s induction into the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame for her tireless commitment to feeding hungry Ohioans and supporting Ohio’s largest sector, agriculture.  

Listen to Lisa reflect on the Ohio Association of Foodbanks’ 30th anniversary with Tina Osso, former executive director at Shared Harvest Foodbank who was instrumental in establishing the association.  

Watch the State of Ohio show on WOSU/PBS, with a segment featuring Lisa’s tenure at the Ohio Association of Foodbanks and John Corlett, executive director of Center for Community Solutions who is also retiring this year. Segment begins at 5:28. 

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 them every other week!       

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, X, 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.   

The public policy team at the Ohio Association of Foodbanks sits down to provide you with updates on what is happening in Congress when it comes to hunger and basic needs security. OAF’s new director of communications, Audrey Vanzant, joins Hope and Sarah to host the episode and ask the team what the listeners need to know when it comes to the debt ceiling deal negotiation earlier this year, delays in the Farm Bill, a possible government shutdown and more. Take a listen! 

References: 

Medicaid renewals are starting. Those who don’t reenroll could get kicked off, by Maria Godoy, NPR 

The government remains open – for now. Here’s what happens next, by Kaanita Iyer, CNN 

Rep Mike Johnson says avoiding shutdown is priority as House speaker, by April Rubin, Axios 

Getting a new speaker may not clear hurdles to agriculture bills, by Ellyn Ferguson, Roll Call 

Millions of American families struggle to get food on the table, report finds, by Maria Godoy, NPR 

USDA Economic Research Service Report on Household Food Security in the United States in 2022, Released October 2023. 

Feeding America Calls for Immediate Action to Address Large Increase in Food Insecurity, Released October 25, 2023 

A recently released USDA Policy Memo assured that SNAP and WIC benefits will be issued through the rest of the year, regardless of government shutdown.  

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 them every other week!       

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, X, 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.   

As summer comes to a close and Ohio students return to school, your Just A Bite hosts wanted to highlight a huge first step when it comes to addressing childhood hunger and providing nutritious school meals for all students. We are joined by two members of the Children’s Defense Fund Ohio, Katherine Ungar and Matthew Tippit to talk about the coalition work this campaign needed to make it a success and what opportunities there are to make sure implementation of the program is successful. We talked to Tom Zsembik, food service director at Mad River Local Schools, to share his perspective about why free school meals are needed and what he sees on the ground in his community. 

References: 

Learn more about the Hunger Free Schools Ohio campaign at their website.  

Learn more about CDF-Ohio at their website, Twitter, and Facebook.  

Listen to the past Just a Bite episode with Katherine about the Hunger Free Schools Ohio coalition.  

Read more about the work Tom Zsembik, food service director at Mid River Local Schools, is doing to break down barriers to nutritious school meals for the students in his community.  

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 them 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.  

It has been a little over two months since Ohio's state budget was passed and signed by Governor DeWine! Sarah is joined by three state advocates with three different perspectives to talk about how their issues fared in the budget and what they think are the opportunities to weigh in on implementation of new programs and policies. The conversation ends with what kept each of them energized and inspired during the 6 months of monitoring the budget and advocating on behalf of the people they serve.

References: 

Learn more about Groundwork Ohio on their website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Look at their Early Childhood Dashboard and learn about their Center for Family Voice where you can listen to their podcast, Amplified.  

Learn more about Ohio Poverty Law Center on their website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.   

Learn more about Disability Rights Ohio on their website, Facebook, and Twitter. Check out their Public Policy Resource Center to get involved.  

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 them 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.   

It is often stated that Ohio is an aging state. But what does that mean? And how do we create communities that support all of us as we age? Ohio’s older adult population is projected to increase by 21% by 2030! Unfortunately for some, food insecurity and poverty become more prevalent as they age. Recently, Ohio foodbanks have been seeing an uptick in older adults seeking help, with households with at least one Ohioan over 60 making up a third of our caseload statewide. Sarah, Just a Bite cohost, spoke with Beth Kowalczyk from Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging who gave an overview of our aging state and what policy solutions would support our older Ohioans, Sarah Brown from the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank to talk about the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, and Patty, a resident from Mahoning County, Ohio about her experience navigating nutrition programs as an older adult.   

References: 

Find more information on the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging on their website, their twitter, and their Facebook page.   

Learn more about the Akron Canton Regional Foodbank on their website, their Twitter, their Instagram, and their Facebook page.   

Find your local Produce Perks location to get additional SNAP dollars for fresh fruits and vegetables.  

Learn about the findings from the study done by Ohio’s foodbank network here.  

Hear more stories from those living with food insecurity and poverty. Listen to our previous podcast episode interviewing SNAP participants.   

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 them 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. 

Michael Knote joined Just a Bite host, Sarah, to talk about the great work Have A Gay Day is doing to meet neighbors and clients where they are at and provide them with a welcoming and inclusive environment. Michael and Sarah discuss the stigma and challenges LGBTQ+ Ohioans face and their disproportionate rates of food insecurity, homelessness, and poverty. 

References: 

Visit Have A Gay Day at their website, their Facebook, and their Twitter.   

Support Have A Gay Day by donating here. If you donate $10 or more during the month of June 2023, Have A Gay Day has the chance to win a $10,000 grant to support their efforts in Montgomery County, Ohio!  

Learn about the findings from the study mentioned, done by UCLA’S Williams Institute, here.  

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 them 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.   

SNAP recipients had been receiving extra COVID SNAP benefits for 3 years to weather the economic impacts of the pandemic. It had been a lifeline for many, where they could finally afford the foods they preferred and needed to manage their diet related diseases and feel food secure. Unfortunately, since those benefits ended in March, SNAP recipients no longer have that additional money that they used to meet their basic needs, while the side effects of COVID still remain. To get a sense of how this is impacting Ohioans, we met with 5 Ohioans who participate in SNAP to talk to them about their experiences and what they think folks need to hear when it comes to making ends meet. We extend our most sincere thanks to each of them for sharing their time and their stories.  

References: 

Read our 2022 brief on older adults and the impact SNAP EAs had on their lives here.  

Read our recent tweet thread about the impact SNAP EAs had on older adults and the need to increase the minimum SNAP benefit.  

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.   

The primary benefit from making sure that every person has the wholesome food they need is that fewer people suffer the indignity and harm of hunger. But did you know there are many other benefits to hunger relief? Today we’re going to dive deeper into one less commonly explored way that our state-funded emergency food programs benefit Ohio: through the indirect economic activity they generate! Economist Dr. Howard Fleeter joins the podcast to talk about his Independent Economic Impact Analysis of our food purchasing programs and the economic multiplier effects that come with food assistance! 

References: 

Read the latest Independent Economic Impact Analysis for our State-Funded Food Programs, as prepared by Dr. Fleeter. 

 Review our request for increased funding for the Ohio Food Program and Agricultural Clearance Program and add your name to our list of supporters for this request.  

Learn more about Dr. Howard Fleeter’s career, experience, and areas of expertise and what makes Fleeter & Associates Ohio’s premier public policy research firm.  

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.   

Will Petrik of Policy Matters Ohio comes on the podcast to talk about the recent threats to the economic security and stability of Ohioans to as well as a meaningful solution to make the state tax code more equitable, allow families to weather the high inflation they are experiencing, and ensure that families can thrive. A state funded child tax credit, or the Thriving Families Tax Credit, is extremely popular among Ohioans. Listen to learn more about what this tax credit would entail and how we could make equitable and sustainable changes to the state tax code.  

References: 

Find Policy Matters Ohio on their website, Twitter and Facebook.   

Find Will Petrik on Twitter @WillPetrik and via email [email protected]. 

“Ohio Voters Support Taxing the Wealthy and Investing More in Workers and Families,” Evangel Penumaka & Tenneth Fairclough II, Data for Progress.  

See Policy Matters Ohio’s tweet thread about the polling they conducted with Data for Progress.   

“The great Ohio tax shift, 2022,” Guillermo Bervejillo, Policy Matters Ohio  

“Ohio’s family budget,” Will Petrik, Molly Zelloe, Tanisha Pruitt, Piet van Lier, Michael Shields, Guillermo Bervejillo, & Zach Schiller, Policy Matters Ohio  

“Setting the foundations for a thriving Ohio with a proactive tax agenda,” Guillermo Bervejillo & Zach Schiller, Policy Matters Ohio  

“Ohio’s LLC loophole: Public dollars, private benefits,” Guillermo Bervejillo, Policy Matters Ohio  

“Gov. DeWine’s $2,500-per-child state tax deduction does nothing for those who need it most,” Guillermo Bervejillo, Policy Matters Ohio 

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.   

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.