3rd Annual Wyoming Community Food Drive Returns at Critical Time for Valley Interfaith

The Wyoming Community Food Drive is back for its third year on Saturday, April 22 at the Village Green. Over the past two years, Wyoming residents have donated over 13,000 meals as part of the food drive to benefit Valley Interfaith Community Resource Center in Lockland. The event is spearheaded by Adam Bianco, Wyoming resident and Director of Marketing at Move For Hunger, a national hunger relief non-profit.

“At Move For Hunger, we help organize hundreds of food drives every year across the nation, and I wanted to have that same impact here in our community,” Bianco said. “The people in Wyoming are just so generous and eager to help. We moved here in 2020 and didn’t know who to talk to about hosting something like this. I put out a call for help and had several neighbors who jumped at the opportunity to help get the ball rolling.”

The food drive has a team of 20+ volunteers, but Bianco says they’re still looking for a few more (click here to learn more).

The food drive takes place the same weekend as Upcycle Day and Junk Day. “It was a pure coincidence when that happened in our first year,” Bianco said. “It worked out so well; we’ve kept it the same weekend since. People are already in the mode of cleaning out their house, and we’re just adding food to the list of things they can donate.”

This year’s food drive couldn’t have come at a more important time. Just last month, SNAP benefits (previously known as food stamps) were slashed in Ohio and across the country. About 700,000 Ohio households can expect to see their monthly benefits shrink with a family of four experiencing a benefit cut of nearly $330 per month. Seniors are especially vulnerable and could see their SNAP benefits drop from over $200 to as little as $23 a month.

“2023 is presenting us with major challenges,” said John Keuffer, CEO of Valley Interfaith Community Resource Center. “We are still being hit with historical inflation. There are very few subsidies that exist to help bridge the gap. Donors and funders are decreasing their giving in the wake of a projected recession, and we have an increased need with additional immigrants in our community. Cuts to SNAP are just adding more insult to injury.”

While SNAP benefits decrease, grocery prices continue to increase. On average, grocery prices have risen more than 11% over the past year, with the price of eggs skyrocketing 70%.

As a result of all of this, Valley Interfaith is on pace to impact 27,360 individuals in 2023. To put this in perspective; prior to 2020, its highest year would have been around 6,000 people.

“We are now serving quadruple our pre-COVID average with less food available, and higher-priced food and operational costs, in an economy where most of our donors are being significantly impacted,” Keuffer said. “Last year’s food drive helped fill the gap during those times.”

Fortunately, we can help our neighbors. Most Wyoming residents will receive a food collection bag at their front door between Sunday, April 16 and Tuesday, April 18. To donate, simply fill the bag with unexpired, non-perishable food and leave it outside your front door by 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 22, when a food drive volunteer will pick it up.

If you don’t receive a bag or want to donate in person, you can bring your food donation down to the Village Green between 1-4 p.m., where all the food will be collected before heading off to Valley Interfaith in Lockland.

“We try to make it as easy as possible for people to donate,” said Bianco. “The more food we collect, the more we can help our neighbors in need in Lockland, Wyoming, and the surrounding area.”

“Valley Interfaith Community Resource Center has a long history with the community of Wyoming going back to the 1950s,” explained Keuffer. “We have enjoyed being the vehicle that allows the residents of Wyoming to spread good to those in need and those struggling with poverty cycles. As we embark on our unofficial 60th anniversary, Valley Interfaith is focused on thriving and not just surviving as an institution for good for those we serve.”