LOGAN, Ohio – The SE Ohio Foodbank is celebrating the impact of a three-year Equitable Access Grant from Feeding America that helped increase food recovery and bring nutritious food to some of the most rural communities across its 10-county service area.
Made possible through multiple Feeding America donors, the grant supported efforts to recover more food from local retailers while expanding direct food distribution in communities with limited access to grocery stores and food pantries.
Grant funding allowed the Foodbank to dedicate staff to growing its Retail Rescue Program by building relationships with local retailers. Before the grant, the organization lacked staff dedicated to food recovery partnerships. As part of this effort, 34 Dollar General stores joined the Retail Rescue Program between July 2024 and June 2026, contributing 165,852 pounds of food that might otherwise have gone to waste.
During the full grant period from July 2023 through June 2026, the Retail Rescue Program recovered 1,951,264 pounds of food for the Foodbank and its network of partner pantries, increasing the amount of food available to families throughout the region.
The grant also supported the Foodbank’s Mini Mobile Market program, which brings fresh and shelf-stable food directly to libraries, churches, senior living communities, and other locations where access to groceries can be limited. During the grant period, the program served 1,705 families, with support from AmeriCorps members and volunteers who helped distribute food throughout the service area.
“We’re always looking for better ways to serve our neighbors, and this grant helped us do exactly that. We built new partnerships, recovered more food, and brought it directly into communities where access can be a challenge. Seeing those partnerships grow and knowing more families have food on their tables is something we’re grateful for every day.” -Alicia Miklos, Director of the SE Ohio Foodbank.
Although the grant concluded on June 30, the partnerships built through the project remain an important part of the Foodbank’s hunger relief efforts. The organization will keep working with retailers and community partners to rescue more surplus food, reduce waste, and provide more fresh food to neighbors across its service area.
###
The SE Ohio Foodbank serves 10 counties through a network of partner agencies, direct service programs, and community partnerships, ensuring our neighbors have reliable access to nutritious food close to home.
Kailee Missler
Public Relations Manager
HAPCAP | hapcap.org
kailee.missler@hapcap.org740-767-1050
