Communities in Gallia, Harrison, Hocking, Lawrence, Morgan, Perry and Vinton counties are fighting hunger – one pound at a time
NELSONVILLE, Ohio – Food insecurity rates top 20 percent in some parts of Appalachian Ohio. But in seven of the region’s counties, communities stepped up this summer to provide more than 33,000 pounds of locally raised protein to local food pantries – thanks to campaigns spearheaded by the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio’s affiliate foundation partners.
In 2021, the Community Foundation for Perry County, one of FAO’s 15 affiliate foundation partners, piloted the first Fill the Freezer campaign in the region. The campaign invited buyers at the Perry County Fair’s 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. The goal? To fight hunger – one pig and pound at a time.
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).
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’s food pantries year-round for the past three years.
“These programs are truly win-win-win for our neighbors and our communities,” said Sherri Simons, FAO’s director of outreach. “They 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.”
2025 campaign results:
- The Gallia Community Foundation’s Fill the Freezer (with corporate sponsorship from Columbia Gas and the NiSource Charitable Foundation) yielded 27 hogs, generating 4,933 pounds of sausage.
- The Harrison County Community Foundation’s Fill the Freezer yielded 21 hogs, generating 4,080 pounds of sausage.
- The Hocking County Community Fund’s Fill the Freezer yielded 28 hogs, generating 3,416 pounds of sausage.
- The Lawrence County Community Foundation’s inaugural Fill the Freezer yielded 37 animals (hogs, steer, lambs and goats), generating 4,332 pounds of meat.
- The Morgan Community Fund’s inaugural Fill the Freezer, spearheaded by Morgan County educators and FAO Growing Home Fellows Devan Eier and Chase Myers, yielded 13 hogs, generating 1,450 pounds of sausage.
- The Community Foundation for Perry County’s Fill the Freezer (with corporate sponsorship from Columbia Gas and the NiSource Charitable Foundation) yielded 80 hogs – 61 donated and 19 purchased by CFPC – generating 9,570 pounds of sausage.
- The Vinton County Community Fund’s Fair to Family (with corporate sponsorship from Columbia Gas and the NiSource Charitable Foundation) yielded 16 hogs and three steer, generating 5,230 pounds of meat.
Each of these campaigns is held in partnership with the county fair boards, local 4-H and FFA members, local food pantries and meat processors, and FAO.
The Southeast Ohio Foodbank, which stores and distributes the donated meat to local food pantries in many Fill the Freezer counties, reports that only 12 percent of the commodities it receives include perishable protein like frozen meat, poultry and seafood. Meat is among the most expensive grocery items, making it unaffordable for many families living on lower incomes and food pantries that often opt for less expensive proteins like peanut butter or dry beans.
“Thanks to the leadership of our affiliate foundation partners and the generosity of local residents, businesses and organizations, we’re building a movement to address hunger in our communities,” said Cara Dingus Brook, FAO president and CEO. “It’s amazing to see neighbors helping neighbors to fill this fundamental need across our region.”