Akron Children’s spotlights food insecurity during Hunger Action Awareness Month

# What this story covers September is Hunger Action Awareness Month. Akron Children's uses the month to describe how food insecurity affects the families it serves and to outline how its Food Farmacy supports those families on site at two campuses.

# How widespread the need is The hospital cites a 2026 Hunger Study finding that 65% of Ohio households with children had to choose between paying for utilities or buying food within the previous year. Akron Children's reports seeing those pressures firsthand among patient families: some face rising grocery costs, changes to SNAP benefits, transportation barriers, or the extra cost and time demands of caring for a medically complex child.

# What the Food Farmacy does Affairs department and serves income-eligible patient families who are on site for outpatient visits, plus Akron Children's employees. It operates as a client-choice pantry, which means families select foods that match household preferences, dietary needs, and cultural traditions rather than receiving prepacked boxes. The pantry includes familiar convenience items as well as culturally specific staples and spices.

# 2026 usage and distribution numbers Between January and August 2026 the two Food Farmacy sites (Golisano and Beeghly) served more than 8,600 households, reaching nearly 42,000 individuals. That total included more than 23,000 children. During that period the two locations distributed over 218,000 pounds of food, equal to more than 181,000 meals.

# Logistics and partners

# Hours and access

• Open Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–3:45 p.m.

• Open Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–3:45 p.m.

# How the community can help

# Why this matters for patient care

# Quick links mentioned

• Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank (Golisano supply)
• Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley (Beeghly supply)
• Akron Children's Foundation (financial donations)
• Amazon Wish Lists for hygiene donations

# Bottom line Akron Children's is using Hunger Action Awareness Month to report concrete usage figures for its Food Farmacy, explain how the pantry operates, and make specific asks: donate financially through the Foundation or give hygiene items via Amazon Wish Lists, and support local food banks if you want to give food.