Greater Cleveland Food Bank starts 35th Harvest for Hunger drive as regional demand remains near pandemic levels
A long-running regional campaign returns amid sustained pressure on food-assistance systems
The Greater Cleveland Food Bank has launched its 35th annual Harvest for Hunger campaign, a community-wide fundraising and food-collection effort that runs from March through May 2026. The campaign is structured as a multi-channel drive involving workplace giving, corporate partnerships, school engagement, volunteer participation and in-store checkout donations at participating grocery chains across Northeast Ohio.
Harvest for Hunger operates across 21 counties through four participating food banks, with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank serving as the largest hub in the region. The effort supports a network of partner organizations that distribute food locally, including neighborhood pantries and meal programs.
Campaign target and leadership
For 2026, the campaign’s co-chairs are Nic Barlage, CEO of Rock Entertainment Group and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Heidi Petz, chair, president and chief executive officer of The Sherwin-Williams Company. The Food Bank’s stated fundraising goal for this year is $11.5 million.
Demand indicators: record distribution and sustained caseloads
Food Bank officials say demand remains elevated and comparable to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization reported serving more than 404,000 people last year. In one recent indicator of elevated need, the Food Bank distributed about 7 million pounds of food in November, roughly 2 million pounds above what it described as an average month.
Food costs and household budget strain remain central factors cited by organizers, particularly for residents living paycheck to paycheck and for households adjusting to changing benefit levels. The Food Bank’s partner agencies have reported serving clients across a broad range of ages and circumstances, including seniors facing sudden income disruption.
How donations are collected and why cash matters
Harvest for Hunger combines food donations with monetary contributions. Retail “Check Out Hunger” programs allow customers to give at the register at participating stores, and organizations can host food-and-fund drives at workplaces, schools and community sites. The Food Bank also accepts direct online donations and receives drop-offs at its Coit Road location.
The campaign is designed to convert community participation into stable supply for local pantries and meal programs, balancing immediate food availability with the flexibility of financial support.
Recent performance and the broader support landscape
In the prior year’s campaign, organizers reported collecting more than $11 million and distributing the equivalent of 33,202,323 meals for hunger-relief organizations. Corporate and institutional participation has been a recurring component of that total; nearly 200 entities participated in Northeast Ohio last year through food and fund drives that raised more than $2.7 million.
Outside of the campaign structure, major health and utility-sector philanthropy has recently directed additional funding to food banks in Ohio, including support for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Those contributions are typically framed around hunger relief and the role of nutrition in overall health outcomes.
Timeline: March–May 2026 (with campaign activities and store-based giving running during the period).
Geography: 21 counties served through four regional food banks.
Mechanisms: workplace and school drives, corporate engagement, volunteer opportunities, and cashier-led register donations at participating grocers.
Organizers say the campaign’s annual structure is intended to stabilize supplies for partner agencies as they respond to continuing high levels of need throughout Northeast Ohio.