Did You Know?

This week’s addition to the newsletter by the Turkey Trot is an opportunity to share with you information about the pantry that you may not have given much thought to before.

20 individual and volunteer-based pantries in Licking County fall under the umbrella of the Food Pantry Network of Licking County (FPNLC), including the Market Street Pantry supported by St. Luke’s Church. But you may not know that the FPNLC is associated with a larger network, the Mid-Ohio Food Collective located in Grove City. The Collective is one of Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks and serves 20 counties across Central and Eastern Ohio.

However, The Collective is part of an even larger network supported by the State of Ohio called the Ohio Association of Food Banks.

The Ohio Association of Food Banks procures and purchases food for Ohio’s Feeding America food banks and their 3,600+ member hunger relief partners spanning all of Ohio’s 88 counties. In 2021, Ohio’s food banks distributed 270 million pounds of food, provided 242 million meals, and about 20% of all the food distributed by Ohio’s food banks. Additionally, the Ohio Association of Foodbanks provides funding, training, and technical assistance to support food-insecure Ohioans.

Believe me when I say the support of the Granville Turkey Trot from members of St. Luke's and the community of Licking County and beyond is a big deal. When looking at the larger picture of the network of food pantries in our state, rest assured you are part of something great and are appreciated. Our goal of seeing 2500 people on the streets of Granville all working toward one goal, to feed the hungry, will be a reality on Thanksgiving morning and I can’t wait to see you there!

To learn more about the pantry or the larger supporting programs and how you can make a difference please see the following links:

https://www.foodpantrynetwork.net
https://mofc.org
https://ohiofoodbanks.org

Michelann
GTT Co-Chairman