Foodbank Inc. officials did not immediately return a request for comment about the funding allocation.
Montgomery County has awarded grants through the ED/GE program since 1992. County officials canceled the spring funding cycle this year, citing “federal and state budget uncertainties.”
ED/GE is funded by the Montgomery County commission with countywide sales tax proceeds. Projects funded in the competitive process are used to establish or expand commercial, industrial and research facilities and to create and preserve employment opportunities.
The last round of ED/GE funding saw a combined $1 million investment in business expansion or other projects that created up to 561 new jobs and retained 171 more. Businesses that received awards through the program included the Sierra Nevada Corporation, a Colorado-based aviation company with a growing presence at Dayton International Airport.
County officials have previously estimated that the program has seen more than $109 million dollars in funding for local business growth, retaining more than 40,000 jobs and supporting the creation of 35,000 new jobs.
According to the nonprofit Feeding America, Montgomery County in 2023 had a food insecurity rate of 15.9%.
Food insecurity is the state of lacking consistent access to nutritious food due to budget constraints and other barriers, and Feeding America estimates that 85,240 people who call Montgomery County home are food insecure.
The Foodbank, Inc., at Armor Place in Dayton, is a part of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks. Dayton’s food bank works with more than 110 local partners such as food pantries, community kitchens and shelters to get food where it is needed most.
Foodbank Inc. distributed more than 18 million pounds of food to people living in Montgomery, Greene and Preble Counties in 2024, according to its annual report.
Ohio’s 12 food banks, including the Dayton location, have been impacted by state and federal funding and program cuts.
Leaders of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks have also told this news outlet that their system of food banks is expecting an uptick in demand following new requirements for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
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