As part of his plan to direct $7 million of funding to regional food banks in Ohio, Governor DeWine announced Thursday that funds have been transferred to nine organizations. Second Harvest Foodbank of the Mahoning Valley was included on the list of recipients in the amount of $427, 437.50.

Other recipients include:

Freestore Foodbank – $795,637.50
Greater Cleveland Food Bank – $1,170,837.50
Toledo Seagate Food Bank – $570,937.50
Mid-Ohio Food Collective – $1,440,337.50
Shared Harvest Foodbank – $1,431,937.50
Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank – $887,337.50
Second Harvest Foodbank of North Central Ohio – $275,537.

The governor's office advised that the dollar amounts transferred to each food bank correspond with SNAP caseloads.

New federal guidance has been released regarding partial SNAP benefits during the month of November. The ODJFS has reported that SNAP benefits will not be available this week, however, unless an immediate resolution to the shutdown is reached. 

More than 63,000 Ohioans will also be eligible to receive emergency relief through DeWine's Ohio Works First plan. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) is set to provide up to $18 million in emergency benefits to those who are at or below 50 percent of the federal poverty level. If the government shutdown lasts through November, the Governor's plan would double the monthly Ohio Works First benefit for recipients.

Eligible families will receive the standard monthly Ohio Works First allotment, plus an additional weekly benefit equaling 25 percent of their typical monthly allotment, according to the governor's office. The weekly payments will last up to four weeks or until federal SNAP funding resumes.

ODJFS has announced that recipients will receive the first installment of emergency relief benefits by Friday November 7.

The Ohio Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program also received $10.3 million in funding from the USDA on Tuesday, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Funding for the WIC program will allow mothers, infants and children in need to receive nutritious foods such as eggs, milk, whole grains, fish, iron-fortified infant formula and more.