In a Wednesday news release, the non-profit that has reported helping over 2.4 million individuals in holiday assistance announced that thousands of Northeast and Northwest Ohio families have turned to them for food assistance amid national funding cutbacks.

The Salvation Army stated that much of this increase has come in recent weeks as people have been impacted by the higher prices and recent cutbacks in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Because of this, the Salvation Army's food pantries and hot meals programs are seeing a record high number of individuals seeking assistance, some for the first time.

"The Salvation Army in Northeast and Northwest Ohio has not seen this level of request for food assistance since the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Earlier this year, we were experiencing a 30% increase in assistance needs, and now that has jumped to 100% increase over last year. We ask our local communities to support The Salvation Army as we work to meet this rising demand for services," stated Major Tricia Brennen, divisional commander of The Salvation Army in Northeast and Northwest Ohio.

Serving all zip codes in both Northeast and Northwest Ohio, the organization doesn't want anyone to feel there is no help for them.

"Our organization is uniquely positioned within our local community to respond to whatever our community requires, whether it's a flood, a pandemic, or a hunger crisis. The Salvation Army is here to help anyone in need. We will continue doing everything we can to share hope and bridge the gap for families who may need to find ways to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads," Brennen stated.