In this episode, we gave our Director of Health Initiatives, Zach Reat, the mic to interview our partners at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They talk about our Navigator program, our valued partnership with CMS, and how the work of connecting individuals to healthcare coverage has shifted because of the pandemic.  

Resources:   

2022 Open Enrollment for Healthcare coverage is here! You can make an appointment to shop for the health care plan that’s right for you with our Get Covered Ohio Navigators here or by calling (833) NAV-4INS (628-4467).  

You can access social media toolkits and other outreach materials from CMS (theme weeks) here.  

Here is the newly released data from CMS that was referenced in this episode.  

You can contact our partners in the Office of Program Operations and Local Engagement at CMS if you have any questions or if your organization wants to get involved: 

Gregg McAllister: [email protected]  

Brenda Delgado: [email protected] 

Want to help spread the word? Click here to order free marketing materials, and find template social media content at getcoveredohio.org/outreach. Connect with Get Covered Ohio on Twitter and Facebook. 

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!   

For a transcript of this episode, click here.    

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.    

Food insecurity doesn’t occur in a vacuum. In this episode, we talk to Ohio Association of Foodbanks director of health initiatives Zach Reat about one of the ways in which we address the intersections between food insecurity and health – access to affordable health coverage! Tune in for Zach’s expert insights about why a hunger relief organization like ours is involved in this space, the policies and people that are helping to promote better access to quality care, and how you can be involved.

Resources:   

2022 Open Enrollment for Healthcare coverage is here! You can make an appointment to shop for the health care plan that’s right for you with our Get Covered Ohio Navigators here or by calling (833) NAV-4INS (628-4467). 

Want to help spread the word? Click here to order free marketing materials, and find template social media content at getcoveredohio.org/outreach. Connect with Get Covered Ohio on Twitter and Facebook. 

To learn more about Ohio's progress toward health value, read the Health Policy Institute of Ohio’s 2021 Health Value Dashboard.  

Mentioned in this episode: Medical Debt Is Crushing Black Americans, and Hospitals Aren’t Helping, Bloomberg Businessweek + Equality 

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

The navigator project discussed in this episode 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 $1.92 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. 

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!   

For a transcript of this episode, click here.    

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 has a conversation with our executive director, Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, and the now-retired founding director of Shared Harvest Foodbank, Tina Osso. Tina was instrumental in founding the association and formally bringing the network of Ohio foodbanks together. As the Ohio Association of Foodbanks recognizes the 30th anniversary of its incorporation, we wanted to have a conversation with these two women who have been so instrumental in shaping the association in different ways. We discuss the origin story of the association, the evolution of foodbanking and some of Lisa’s and Tina’s personal challenges and successes in their careers.

Resources:   

2022 Open Enrollment for Healthcare coverage is here! You can make an appointment to shop healthcare plans with our Get Covered Ohio Navigators 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 every other week!    

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

For a transcript of this episode, click here.    

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 has a conversation with Nickolas Sunday, a dedicated advocate for veterans in the central Ohio area. A Vietnam veteran and longtime director of the Ohio Department of Development Office of Community Services, Nick has since spent his retirement connecting thousands of veterans in need to various benefits and supports, like SNAP, HEAP and job coaching and placement programs. He was recently inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame in recognition of his lifelong achievements. We are thrilled to have him on the podcast to discuss the issues facing veterans and military families and to reflect on his work and accomplishments.  

References:  

Find the Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Program’s information and services here. 

Find VA locations near you to connect you to medical care and other benefits here.  

Lawmakers decry ‘alarming’ hunger in US military families by John M. Donnelly 

‘A national outrage’: Lawmakers seek solutions to food insecurity in military, veteran families by Karen Jowers  

Military family groups press Biden to help low-income troops by John M. Donnelly 

Resources:  

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

Claim your Child Tax Credit and missing stimulus payments 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!  

For a transcript of this episode, click here.  

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 speaks with Maria Bruno, Public Policy Director at Equality Ohio, about the work she has done to ensure that all Ohioans are able to participate in democracy, both in her previous and current roles. They discuss the reasons why foodbanks, Equality Ohio, and other direct service providers encourage the individuals they serve to engage in our democracy and why that matters.

References: 

Maria Bruno’s testimony to the Ohio Redistricting Commission on September 14, 2021.

New Survey Shows Nearly 80 percent of Ohio Households Struggled to Make Ends Meet during the Pandemic: What has helped?

Voting schedule for this year’s election

Check your voter registration, see when polls are open, find your polling place, and more here.

Take action to support LGBTQ Ohioans, including Come Play Ohio (videos support trans athletes) and family holiday cards here.

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

Claim your Child Tax Credit and missing stimulus payments 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! 

For a transcript of this episode, click here.  

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 speaks with our former AmeriCorps VISTA member, Ann Do, about her year of service and the start of her nonprofit career. She discusses the impact that AmeriCorps has made on her and the impact that she has made at the Ohio Association of Foodbanks. She has already started her full-time position at one of the food pantries within our network, Westerville Area Resource Ministry, and we cannot wait to see the impact she makes on the children that she serves!

References: 

NBC News: Pandemic unemployment benefits just expired. What will families do now? By Ben Popken

CNBC News: Almost 450 economists signed a letter in favor of extending the enhanced child tax credit by Alicia Adamczyk

Sign-on letter with more than 400 signatures from economists across the country urging Congress to make the expanded Child Tax Credit permanent, with research to back it up.

Apply to be an AmeriCorps VISTA member at one of our foodbanks or partners here!

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

Claim your Child Tax Credit and missing stimulus payments 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! 

For a transcript of this episode, click here.  

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. 

Welcome back! Joree and Sarah discuss the recent change to the Thrifty Food Plan by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which impacts monthly benefit levels for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. Listen to hear the association’s advocacy team discuss this update and how the change will impact food insecure Ohioans!

References: 

Could COVID-19 finally end hunger in America? By Helena Bottemiller Evich of Politico

USDA: SNAP and the Thrifty Food Plan 

Ohio Association of Foodbanks Federal Recovery Campaign - Call and email your members of Congress that federal recovery legislation should support Ohio families

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

Claim your Child Tax Credit and missing stimulus payments 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! 

For a transcript of this episode, click here.   

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.  

Welcome to Just a Bite! Joree and Sarah kick off the podcast by introducing themselves and explaining what the Ohio Association of Foodbanks (OAF) does to alleviate hunger in the state of Ohio. They then discuss the timeline and potential impact of federal recovery legislation, OAF’s priorities, and what you can do to weigh in on what is included in the bill. OAF is thrilled to start this podcast to share the current news about food insecurity and poverty in our state and get listeners involved in the process!

References: 

Social Determinants of Health: Food Insecurity adds $53 billion annually to healthcare costs by Susan Morse of Healthcare Finance News

Round one of child tax credit payments slashed hunger ratees, U.S. data shows by Helena Bottemiller Evich of Politico

Ohio Association of Foodbanks Federal Recovery Campaign - Call and email your members of Congress that federal recovery legislation should support Ohio families

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

Claim your Child Tax Credit and missing stimulus payments 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! 

For a transcript of this episode, click here.  

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.