Harvest for Hunger is an annual springtime campaign and collaborative effort of four local food banks across 21 counties to help fight hunger in Northeast Ohio. It is coordinated by the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley and Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio.
The Harvest for Hunger campaign is one of the largest annual, community-wide food and funds drives in the nation. The campaign is supported by workplace giving, corporate philanthropy, retail cause-marketing partnerships, school engagement, volunteer opportunities and an important fundraising program called Check Out Hunger.
Check Out Hunger is a cashier-led fundraising effort in grocery stores across the region, giving customers the option to make a donation at the register at local Buehler’s, Dave’s Markets, Giant Eagle, GetGo, Heinen’s, Lucky’s Market and Market District stores.
The 2024 campaign set a new record, collecting more than $9.77 million and thousands of pounds of food to provide over 29.4 million nutritious meals for local hunger relief.
As we begin the 2025 Harvest for Hunger Campaign, we know our communities continue to face challenges. The demand for food assistance is at an all-time high, and many of our neighbors, including working families, are struggling to get adequate nutrition as they cope with increasing costs of living. All too often, those served by the Harvest for Hunger campaign must choose between paying for food and paying for utilities such as heat, or getting the medicines they need to stay healthy.
More and more seniors on fixed incomes are also struggling to make ends meet. Because of this, we recognize the critical role of food banks and partner agencies to remain a reliable resource.
With your support of the Harvest for Hunger campaign and beyond, we can be here for the long haul.
