WKSU Stories

Akron Canton Foodbank Welcomes USDA Decision That Simplifies Distribution

Ideastream Public Media | By David Williams

Published April 13, 2020 at 12:32 PM EDT

An artist's rendering of the food bank's new 40,000 square foot Canton facility, which will house a food pantry, teaching kitchen and community spaces. Construction is slated to begin this spring.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved a food distribution program to help expedite the process of feeding hungry families in Ohio.

Dan Flowers is the CEO of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.

He said that prior to this approval, volunteers needed to conduct an intake process which involved exchanging paperwork with clients.

That has the potential to spread coronavirus to volunteers, many of whom are seniors.

“We were excited when the USDA waived that requirement temporarily," Flowers said. "That gives us the ability to just pull cars through and just put the emergency food boxes in the trunk and move them down the line.”

Now volunteers only need to ask how many households the food is for and how many people are in the car.

The foodbank provides food to 500 soup kitchens, homeless shelters and food pantries across eight counties in Ohio.