In Ohio, 1,391,290 people are facing hunger and 386,430 of them are children (1). Specifically in Wayne County, where OABGC calls home, the food insecurity rate is 17.3% and the number of children that are facing hunger is $4,910 (2). Food insecurity, defined as insufficient access to an adequate amount of food, is a critical public health concern associated with negative social and health outcomes. Factors like unemployment, poverty, and sudden changes in income contribute to food insecurity (2).
When members of the Orrville Area Boys & Girls Club became aware of the issue of hunger in their community, they decided to take action.They carefully considered and researched the most effective way to provide nourishment to families, resulting in the creation of their own canned food drive.
Over the course of the project this group managed to gather more than 400 cans, which they donated directly to the Salvation Army, an organization they ultimately volunteered with. Additionally, they compiled a cookbook that consisted of recipes approved by children, all of which could be made using only the canned food collected during the drive.
2.https://map.feedingamerica.org/county/2018/child/ohio/county/wayne