Earlier this year, USDA announced that they would be cutting over $1 billion in support for food banks and school lunch programs. This money had been earmarked to purchase fresh food from local farms and producers for these programs, which meant that not only would food banks and those who rely on them be harmed, but also local farmers who had planned on a portion of their crops to be purchased through the program. At the same time, Ohio's budget, passed this summer, also cut statewide funding for food banks.
My day job location has hosted a monthly produce pick up with one of the area food banks since the beginning of the pandemic. Cars will be lined up down the street, and people will literally wait for hours to get their bags of fresh produce and other staples. And the demand has only been increasing at the same time that state and federal funding has been cut for these programs.
Last year alone, Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank distributed 40 million pounds of food and other essential items, distributed 11 million pounds of fresh produce, providing 31.4 million meals. Every dollar received by the Foodbank provides multiple meals. I can't think of any organizations that can stretch a dollar like our food banks can. If any "waste" is happening, it's not happening in our food banks.
So let's talk about book sales.
All sales of The Roads at Night Looked Like Our Futures: A 40 Over 40 Poetry Anthology, will directly benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. And your first opportunity to purchase the anthology will be at our book launch event on Sunday, August 17, 2pm, at the Akron-Summit County Public Library Main Branch (60 S High St, Akron, OH 44326). We're asking for a $10 donation per book. We'll be collecting cash onsite, or if you prefer to donate by card, we'll have a qr code to connect you directly to the Foodbank's website.
Join us Sunday! All contributors will have the opportunity to read their poems from the anthology, and it should be a great celebration.
I'll see you there!
