Nearly 6,000 pounds of sausage from the Hartford Junior Fair youth livestock auction was donated to the Food Pantry Network of Licking County, feeding families across the community with locally raised meat.
The donation arrived at the FPN warehouse on Friday, Sept. 5, and all 5,861 pounds of sausage were distributed to food banks in the area within the week.
“Our goal is not to store food, but to get it out,” said Alyssa Shepherd, fund development director of the FPN.
The Food Pantry Network of Licking County has worked to provide access and availability to food in Licking County for more than 40 years. Alongside over 20 partner agencies and social services organizations, the FPN hosts a weekly fresh produce market, a daily meal program, a baby pantry and food distribution services to fight food insecurity. The organization distributed 4.4 million pounds of food in 2024 — up from the 4.3 million pounds distributed in 2023 and 3.9 million pounds distributed in 2022.
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Donations from individuals, organizations, corporations and other foundations support the nonprofit organization. The FPN is an affiliate foodbank, in partnership with MidOhio Food Collective and Feeding America.
The sausage donation, made possible through purchases by Englefield Oil Company and Duchess Convenience Stores, Heartland Bank, Licking County Farm Bureau and Intel, was processed by Ohio Penal Industries through a partnership facilitated by the Ohio Association of Foodbanks.
“When we have an abundance of something like that come in, we’ll send an email out to the agencies and say, ‘Hey, we just got this in. If you want some, come in and get it,’” said Chuck Moore, the executive director of the Food Pantry Network in Licking County. “Every one of my agencies will show up and grab some to take back to their pantries. The great thing about that is then it gets out county-wide, and so when you have a large amount like that, everyone in the county has an opportunity to get this fresh pork that these kids grew or raised right here in Licking County, and then was processed by companies right here.”
Food items high in protein, such as meat and eggs, are often difficult for the FPN to acquire due to their high cost. According to Moore, this donation helps reduce expenses, allowing residents to allocate other financial support toward additional essential but costly items.
The donation comes at a perfect time as September marks a heavy month for the FPN with back-to-school. Expenses like school supplies, clothes, book fees and more may strain families.
“Our philosophy has become: We want to make sure people feel secure; that we’re here to help them…We want the pantries to know that they can come in and get this food. We want the customers and neighbors to know that they can go to any location six days a week and get food,” said Shepherd.
FPN accepts donations of both monetary contributions and non-perishable food items. The organization also distributes products that may be past their recommended “use by” date, provided they are still safe for consumption.
Individuals can donate a variety of items, including:
- Canned chili with beans
- Soups with vegetables
- Canned or boxed entrees
- Canned fruits and vegetables
- Peanut butter
- After-school snacks
- Beans
- Juice boxes
- Personal care products
“We wouldn’t be able to provide what we provide without the volunteers, without the donors,” Shepherd said. “It is really something that everybody jumps in to help with in different ways.”
Tyler Thompson writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.