Hocking County Community Fund campaign aims to fight hunger – one pig at a time
LOGAN, Ohio – The Hocking County Community Fund (HCCF) is once again bringing together residents, businesses and organizations to fight hunger in Hocking County – one pig at a time.
HCCF’s Fill the Freezer campaign returns to the Hocking County Fair on Sept. 13. The campaign invites buyers at the fair’s junior livestock sale to donate their hog purchases to fill the freezers of the county’s food pantries and others to donate money to cover the meat processing costs.
“Since launching the Fill the Freezer campaign in Hocking County three years ago, this community has stepped up to provide over 9,000 pounds of locally raised meat to help feed our neighbors who might otherwise go without,” said Kristi Brooks, HCCF committee member. “Together, we are literally nourishing a flourishing Hocking County.”
The Fill the Freezer campaign is held in partnership with the Hocking County Fair Board, local 4-H members, local food pantries, meat processors and the Southeast Ohio Foodbank, which stores and distributes the donated meat to member food pantries serving Hocking County.
Meat donated through HCCF’s Fill the Freezer campaign helps individuals and families in Hocking County, where 17 percent of the population experiences food insecurity, as well as the food pantries striving to fill that need. The Southeast Ohio Foodbank, which serves 10 Appalachian Ohio counties including Hocking County, reports that only 12 percent of the commodities it receives and distributes to member food pantries is perishable protein like frozen meat, poultry and seafood.
HCCF is one of seven affiliate foundation partners of the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio to spearhead Fill the Freezer or similar campaigns this year. In 2024, these programs provided a total of nearly 25,000 pounds of meat to families in need of a helping hand.