{"id":312,"date":"2025-10-13T09:12:57","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T13:12:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/appalachianohio.org\/gallia\/2025\/10\/13\/campaigns-to-fill-freezers-of-local-food-pantries-yield-33000-pounds-of-protein\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T10:11:47","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T14:11:47","slug":"campaigns-to-fill-freezers-of-local-food-pantries-yield-33000-pounds-of-protein","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/appalachianohio.org\/gallia\/2025\/10\/13\/campaigns-to-fill-freezers-of-local-food-pantries-yield-33000-pounds-of-protein\/","title":{"rendered":"Campaigns to fill freezers of local food pantries yield 33,000+ pounds of protein"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Communities in Gallia, Harrison, Hocking, Lawrence, Morgan, Perry and Vinton counties are fighting hunger \u2013 one pound at a time<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NELSONVILLE, Ohio<\/strong> \u2013 Food insecurity rates top 20 percent in some parts of Appalachian Ohio. But in seven of the region\u2019s counties, communities stepped up this summer to provide more than 33,000 pounds of locally raised protein to local food pantries \u2013 thanks to campaigns spearheaded by the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio\u2019s affiliate foundation partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2021, the\u00a0Community Foundation for Perry County, one of FAO\u2019s 15 affiliate foundation partners, piloted the first Fill the Freezer campaign<\/a> in the region. The campaign invited buyers at the Perry County Fair\u2019s livestock sale to donate their hog purchases to fill the freezers of the county\u2019s food pantries and others to donate money to cover the meat processing costs. The goal? To fight hunger \u2013 one pig and pound at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past five years, the campaign has expanded to six additional counties served by FAO affiliate foundation partners: Hocking County (2022); Vinton County, where it operates under the name Fair to Family, and Gallia County (2023); Harrison County (2024); and Lawrence and Morgan counties (2025).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2025 alone, 225 animals were donated through these campaigns, generating 33,011 pounds of fresh, local meat to feed those who need it most. Over the past five years, the campaigns have provided a combined 92,000+ pounds of meat. In Perry County, Fill the Freezer has provided enough meat to stock the county\u2019s food pantries year-round for the past three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese programs are truly win-win-win for our neighbors and our communities,\u201d said Sherri Simons, FAO\u2019s director of outreach. \u201cThey help ensure that no one in our communities goes hungry, support the tireless volunteers who operate our food pantries and empower 4-H and FFA youth to give back to their communities through their livestock projects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2025 campaign results:<\/p>\n\n\n\n