Summit County Executive, Summit County Council and United Way of Summit & Medina Partner on Gift Card Program to Support Families with Holiday Groceries

The Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro, Summit County Council and United Way of Summit & Medina recently partnered to distribute over $56,000 in grocery gift cards to community organizations across the greater Akron area. This one-time initiative aimed to provide direct support to families facing food insecurity, particularly those impacted by November’s delayed SNAP benefits.

In November, Summit County Council approved $25,500 in funding  to purchase grocer gift cards, plus the utilization of grocer gift cards leftover from a previous County gun buyback program for prompt distribution into the community. County Executive Shapiro and Council also authorized an additional $10,000 for United Way to support the administration of the program and capacity for the 211 helpline, which became overwhelmed with calls for help as food assistance became scarce.

Utilizing data through United Way’s 211 database, local nonprofit agencies serving residents in the highest need zip codes were identified to participate. These organizations are among the highest-impact food distribution partners in the area and were selected for their established reach within the communities most affected by food insecurity and included Friends in Tents and Community Outreach, Good Neighbors Community Outreach and Food Center, Open M, First Faith Development, Common Threads Closet, and First Congregational Church of Akron.

Each partner agency identified its preferred local grocer based on accessibility for the families they serve. Cards were purchased from Dave’s Supermarket, Acme, Marc’s, and ALDI to ensure support could be used immediately and conveniently. Many grocer gift cards are already in the hands of local families for use. 

“This initiative represented meaningful, immediate support for families who are struggling to make ends meet,” said Annie McFadden, President & CEO of United Way of Summit & Medina. “We are deeply grateful to the County Executive, County Council and our partner agencies for their collaboration and for all they do to serve our community every day.”

County Executive Ilene Shapiro says, “In response to significant need and great uncertainty in our community, we jumped into action to help ensure Summit County residents had food to put on their tables. This was only possible thanks to our strong partnerships with community organizations like United Way and the many other agencies willing to assist.”

“Council was honored to be able to assist those residents in Summit County who have been faced with unexpected food shortages,” said Summit County Council President Rita Darrow. “We hope these efforts help bring some comfort to struggling families this holiday season.”

Feedback from the partner agencies so far has been overwhelmingly positive, with immediate reactions of, “This is so exciting! Thank you so much! This will help our clients so much!” and “This is amazing and warms my heart!”

This collaborative initiative ensures timely, practical assistance to families across Summit County as they head into the holiday season.