Annual Harvest for Hunger Drive kicks off in Cleveland, Akron

CLEVELAND - On Wednesday morning, community leaders kicked off the annual 21-county Harvest for Hunger food and funds drive. Locally, events are coordinated by the Cleveland Foodbank and the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.

In Cleveland, 2012 Harvest for Hunger campaign kicked off from Tower City Center at 10 a.m.

The drive takes place every spring in northeast Ohio. It's one of the largest of its kind in the nation and typically raises over $3 million. In 2011, the campaign raised enough for 14 million meals for families in need.

NewsChannel5’s Macie Jepson and Mike Dunston participated in a shopping cart challenge and grocery bagging contest while representatives from local supermarkets served as judges.

According to the Cleveland Foodbank, food distribution is up by 59 percent over the last three years. Harvest For Hunger helps make food available at no cost to hundreds of hot meals sites, food pantries, shelters and other agencies in northeast Ohio. Almost 50 percent of those served by the foodbank's 600 member programs are children and elderly.

The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank kicked off its campaign from the center at 10 a.m. The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank provides food and other essential items to more than 450 hunger-relief programs, such as food pantries and hot meal sites in Carroll, Holmes, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas and Wayne counties.

Their goal is to raise $865,000 and provide 3.5 million meals.

According to the foodbank, 19.4 million pounds of food was distributed last year, resulting in 14.9 million meals locally for people in need.

For more information visit: www.clevelandfoodbank.org and www.akroncantonfoodbank.org