Hunger in Plain Sight in Portage County

A ground-level primer on Portage County’s hunger crisis—how the pandemic exposed long-standing gaps, what ALICE reveals that federal poverty stats miss, and how county leaders tried to plug holes with ARPA funds.

You’ll hear from:

• John Kennedy, Portage County Treasurer
• Sabrina Christian-Bennett, Portage County Commissioner

In this episode:

• The moment hunger got personal: families living in cars at a single pantry stop.
• Kent vs. Ravenna: visible prosperity, hidden need—and why Portage is a microcosm of the country.
• ALICE vs. poverty rate: why 23% under ALICE (and 60%+ in Kent City) reframes the scale of hunger locally.
• What ARPA enabled (and couldn’t): rapid grants, pop-up pantries, moving dollars to the Foodbank to cut red tape.
• Rural barriers: food deserts, no transit, the cost of distance.
• The collaboration problem: breaking “silo mentality” so people actually find help.

Resources mentioned:

• ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) methodology
• Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank
• United Way Portage County
• 211 (call or 211.org) for local services

Credits:

Reporting/hosting by Ben & Patrick Childers. Editing/mix/master by Patrick. Fact-check by Dash Lewis. Story edit by Jenna Marson. Artwork by Miggs Sonny. Original music by L.T. Headtrip.

Mentioned in this episode:

Neighbors In Need: Portage County Emergency Support Drive

Neighbors In Need