Our Family Tree
Learn about the generous donors who have established charitable funds through Stark Community Foundation.
Since 2013, Stark Community Foundation has been leading an effort to fight food insecurity in Stark County. After receiving a high volume of grant requests focused on hunger relief, the Foundation commissioned a study to gain a deeper understanding of the hunger issues facing individuals and families in our community.
Released publicly in 2015, The Future of Food Security in Stark County: County Assessment and Strategic Framework for Change examined hunger issues and identified resources and opportunities to feed those in Stark County. The comprehensive research study (summary) created a framework for addressing food security that mixes food access, community education, economic development and emergency services.
The report reveals that 15.3% of Stark County's population (57,730 people) and 23.8% of children (20,650) are considered "food insecure," meaning they lack regular access to enough food for an active healthy life.
Given the high population of food insecure people in Stark County, the Foundation made a commitment to provide planning and implementation grants to organizations that are finding long-term solutions to hunger. To maximize our impact, we partnered with The Paul & Carol David Foundation and Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton to invest more than $500,000 to date in local organizations that are finding long-term solutions to hunger.
One-year planning grants are awarded up to a maximum of $15,000 per project. Implementation grants are awarded over a one-to-three year time period with a maximum award of $100,000 per project.
Alliance Community Pantry
The Pantry will use these funds to hire a data collection and analytical expert in a consultative role to help determine who the Pantry is not serving and why. In addition, the Pantry will proactively re-engage the entire Alliance community to identify potential areas of collaboration.
Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank
With the help of a consultant, the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Stark County Hunger Task Force and Community Harvest, Inc. will evaluate how their collective work in hunger relief in Stark County can be strengthened to further impact food security.
JRC/StarkFresh
This grant supported StarkFresh's core programs - Farmer's Market, Mobile Market and Urban Teaching Farm.
Minerva United Methodist Church
Minerva United Methodist Church will widen the scope of services provided by area food pantries with expanded healthy food offerings. The grant will also increase area-wide publicity and education on food security and solutions in the Minerva area.
Stark County Hunger Task Force
This implementation grant will help establish four collaborative Pantry Hub sites in Canton.
Walsh University
Through a new soil testing program, Walsh will have the ability to test soil samples for lead, arsenic and nutrient density in relation to the creation of community gardens and urban farms. This is a vital first step, and currently there is not a Northeast Ohio entity that can directly conduct the testing.
Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank
The Foodbank is looking to open a Stark County Food Security Hub in order to explore hunger relief, local food efforts and healthcare, educational and institutional initiatives. This hub will also provide an alternative pick-up destination and help alleviate major transportation issues for area pantries. These funds will allow the Foodbank to identify collaborative partners, assess facility needs and develop a case for support.
Walsh University
Walsh University will identify its capacity and create a blueprint for establishing itself as a Food Security Resource Center for the region. Specifically, Walsh will examine its infrastructure, assess capabilities, identify challenges and develop a plan to move forward.
Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank
After a year of conversations about how to improve food security in Stark County, both Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and Community Harvest have come to believe that greater expansion can occur and more meals can be provided if the collective work of the organizations is merged. This implementation grant will support the merger, specifically in four areas: legal, integration, operating and marketing. Learn more about the merger.
Pegasus Farm
Pegasus Farm will expand its current garden operation and add a five-acre edible garden, as well as expand its compost operation and add a community education element. The community education program will focus on nutrition, cooking and growing. Learn more about Pegasus Farm's Wellness Garden.
Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank
Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank will identify a site location and collaborate with community partners to refine the day-to-day functionality of a Food Hub in Stark County. Architectural and fundraising consultation will result in the development of a Design Development Package for contractors and a Preliminary Case for Support for funders.
Walsh University
Walsh University will launch a Food Design Institute on its campus, which will use design thinking as a method to address the issue of food insecurity with site-specific solutions. Ultimately, the University seeks to use this model to help regions become hunger-free communities.
Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank
Funding will help accelerate the development of a formal collaboration plan between Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and Stark County Hunger Task Force that will ultimately create a stronger, more connected hunger relief network in Stark County. Specifically, the planning grant will support leadership staff time, survey technology and marketing materials.
Alliance Community Pantry
Alliance Community Pantry will reach out to residents in Alliance who are eligible for food assistance but are not currently utilizing the Pantry through communications such as direct mail, posters, radio spots and flyers.
Minerva United Methodist Church
Minerva United Methodist Church will widen the scope of services provided by Minerva area food pantries with expanded healthy food offerings, increased social media presence and outreach on food insecurity and local resources.
Pegasus Farm
Pegasus Farm will fund a full-time Horticultural Manager position for two years to allow more time to be dedicated to its health and wellness programs.
Walsh University
Walsh University’s Food Design Institute will focus its inaugural project on making Massillon a hunger free community through design thinking, a creative and solution-driven process used across sectors to develop innovative solutions to complex problems.
Stark County Educational Service Center
Funds will help engage students in nutrition education and consumption through increased procurement of local nutritious foods, students taste tests and surveys of HOM (Harvest of the Month) items, coordination of HOM curriculum resources, field-trips to local farms and hosting local farms in schools, and the implementation of school gardens and farm walls in school curriculum and activities.
Walsh University
Funding will support Walsh University’s Food Design Institute with its continued engagement in Massillon as well as the beginning work in the next community the Institute identifies to focus its hunger free community efforts.
At this time, we will not be considering any new planning or implementation grants for Future of Food Security funding.