Across Northeast Ohio, families, seniors, and children are facing the effects of federal funding cuts to food assistance programs. 
Local food pantries that provide essential items at no cost rely on organizations like the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, which is now expected to lose up to 3 million pounds of food in 2025 due to the termination of USDA programs - specifically the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (LFPA) and the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) program. This petition calls on lawmakers to restore the federal funding that made it possible for community-led food efforts to serve families, children, and seniors reliably and consistently. We, the undersigned, respectfully ask our elected officials to restore federal food assistance funding that supports regional food banks - like the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank - and the local pantries they supply throughout Northeast Ohio. Recent federal funding cuts are expected to reduce this food bank’s supply by up to 3 million pounds in 2025. That includes staple items like dairy, protein, and fresh produce - foods that were previously distributed to local pantries at no cost. As a result, many community food pantries are now paying thousands of dollars just to continue serving the same number of families. These pantries operate on limited budgets and rely heavily on volunteers. We’re not requesting new or additional funding - we’re simply asking for the restoration of previously allocated funding that helped ensure reliable food access for children, seniors, and families in need. We respectfully ask that lawmakers:  Reinstate the USDA programs that directly funded food bank supply chains. Ensure consistent federal funding for food distribution to local pantries. Help protect food access for the most vulnerable in our communities Food access is not a luxury - it’s a basic need. We urge you to please take action to restore this critical funding.