The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and Community Harvest are merging.
The two nonprofit groups, which both combat hunger, announced the deal Monday, saying they expect the merger to take effect Jan. 1.
“It makes complete sense,” said Faith Barbato, executive director of Community Harvest and the group’s only paid employee.
While both organizations are focused on feeding hungry people, they operate differently.
The Akron-based food bank collects and distributes packaged and fresh foods to pantries and shelters in an eight-county region.
The Jackson Township-based Community Harvest collects unused, prepared foods from restaurants, caterers and other businesses that would normally go to waste and delivers them to hot meal programs and shelters in Stark County.
Community Harvest, founded in 1989, was one of the first food rescue programs in the country.
The program has grown significantly in recent years. It distributes $1.6 million worth of food today, compared with $740,000 in 2009.
“We’ve just stretched so much and grown so much that we can’t continue without their support,” Barbato said.
The group, with support from 15 volunteers, collects food from more than 100 locations and delivers it to more than 30 locations.
Barbato said she hopes to expand the program outside of Stark with the food bank’s help.
The food bank provides food for nearly 500 food pantries, shelters and other programs in Carroll, Holmes, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas and Wayne counties. It distributed an estimated 27.9 million pounds of food and other items last year.
The nonprofit estimates that 1 in 7 people, including 1 in 4 children, suffer from food insecurity in the region.
“While the Foodbank’s operations won’t change, we’re confident this merger will drive efficiencies while creating new energy and innovation centered on unique ways of solving hunger in our community,” food bank President and Chief Executive Officer Dan Flowers said in a prepared statement.
The merger is being supported by grants from the W. Henry Hoover Fund at the Stark Community Foundation, the Paul & Carol David Foundation and Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ .