About Us

1 in 5 Kids in Ohio are Food Insecure

Childhood Hunger in Ohio

Over 400,000 children across Ohio live in food-insecure households. That means 1 in 5 children are unsure of where their next meal is coming from. This is the lowest number in decades due to many special programs available during the pandemic. 

Our Mission

Our mission is to ensure that children without access receive healthy food, nutrition education and physical activity.

 

How Children's Hunger Alliance can help

Founded in 1970, Children’s Hunger Alliance is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger.

We collaborate with organizations throughout Ohio to provide nutritious meals to at-risk children who need them most. CHA partners with in-home childcare providers, childcare centers, afterschool and summer programs to provide balanced, healthy meals to children in their care. Additionally, we work with schools to increase breakfast participation and provide weekend meals to students. Our team of educators also deliver nutrition education and lead children in physical activities to provide a balanced approach to childhood health.

Children’s Hunger Alliance has a team of 50 professionals throughout the state who are passionate about ending childhood hunger in Ohio’s 88 counties. Our home office is in Columbus, Ohio with regional offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Toledo.

Our Programs

  • IN-HOME CHILDCARE PROVIDERS

    We partner with more than 500 In-Home Childcare providers to ensure they offer nutritious meals to children in their care.

  • CHILDCARE CENTERS

    We partner with approximately 65 Childcare Centers to provide healthy meals to the children in their centers.

  • TEACHING HEALTHY HABITS

    Education is key to ensuring kids and their caregivers understand the importance of nutrition and how it fuels overall health. We provide nutrition education in childcare centers, afterschool programs, and at summer sites.

  • SCHOOL BREAKFAST

    We work with schools to increase school breakfast participation and in some situations, we provide financial grants to ensure students start the day with a healthy meal.

  • AFTERSCHOOL MEALS

    We partner with approximately 250 afterschool programs to provide healthy meals and snacks to children at the end of their school day.

  • SUMMER MEALS

    We sponsor approximately 150 summer sites to help fill the meal gap many children face during the summer. Only 10% of children who receive free or reduced meals during the school year have access to a summer meal program, much works needs to be done to provide children with the food they need during the summer.

Our Leadership

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Michelle M. Brown
President and Chief Executive Officer

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Michele Marra
Senior Vice President, Finance & Operations

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Shannon Amos
Vice President, Programs

Kouns-Lewis_Joy

Joy Kouns-Lewis
Vice President,
Human Resources & Risk

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Cindi Marshall
Vice President, Development

Governing Board of Directors

Aaron Ockerman (Chair)
President
Ockerman Consulting

Nikki Scarpitti (Vice Chair)
Executive Director
The Walter Family Foundation

Steve Rigdon (Treasurer)
Managing Director
KPMG

Frank Combs (Secretary)
Executive Director, CPP
PPAC at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Masa Abdelhadi (Development Chair)
Partner
EY

Kelli Berner (At-Large Member)
Chief People Officer
The Champion Companies

Skyler Kalady (At-Large Member)
Pediatrician
Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Janice Innis-Thompson (At-Large Member)
SVP, Corporate Litigation & Legal Operations
Nationwide Insurance

Sathu Alagappan
Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access, and Belonging
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

Irene Alvarez
Founder and Brand Strategist
Irene Alvarez Consulting

Heather Brockler
Vice President, People and Culture
Cleveland Cavaliers

Sheldon Clarke
Vice President of Engineering, Head of Claims & Benefits Platforms
Northwestern Mutual

Trish English
SVP, Finance
Cardinal Health

Steve Forry
Corporate Counsel
BMW Financial Services

Abby Goolsby
Director of Operations
UPS

Jennifer Jarrell
Chief Communications Coordinator
Ohio Department of Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services

Lisa Kelso
Vice President, Customer Experience
AEP

Erica Krumlauf
COO
Leading EDJE

Jeff Marx
Vice President and Treasurer
Hexion

Chris Potelicki
Account Manager
Eclipse Creative

Brett Radulovich
Vice President, Strategy & Risk Operations
NiSource Inc.

Dawn Riedel
Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer
CAS

Chana Russell
Accounting Manager
Paul Werth

John Singleton
Senior Vice President of Government Relations
Community Choice Financial, Inc.

Ryen Stewart
Commercial Banking Relationship Manager
Fifth Third Bank

Bryan White
Vice President
Huntington National Bank

Lisa Dodge (Emeritus Member)
Vice President
Sean P. Dunn & Associates

Regional Advisory Boards

Ann Whisler (Chair)
Berkshire Hathaway Footwear

Stephanie Johnson
Battelle

Brett Kim
OhioHealth

 

 

Lindsey VanMeter Pavlik
CASTO

Jason Roche
Bob Evans Foods

Jean Ann Showalter
Grange Insurance

 

Tyler Smith (Chair)
Mercy Health

Todd Boyer
Ohio Mutual Insurance Group

Jeremy Hartle
Croak Asset Management

Bailey Koester
Renhill

Dave Kontur
Lucas County Family & Children First Council

Jennifer Kovacs
Designetics, Inc.

Jeff Little
Sun Federal Credit Union

Holly Taylor
Superior Credit Union

Jeff Markowski (Chair)
UPS

Christine Arvay
Cleveland Community Member

Vince Direnzo
Eaton Corporation

Tiffanie Riggs
Humana

Natalia Steele
Vorys

Roopa Thakur
Cleveland Clinic

Brenda Lemon (Chair)
Logan-Hocking Local School District

Steve Denny
Winton Woods City Schools

Jess Mayambi
Nordson

Cathy Ponitz
Community Volunteer

Jesse Reed
CareSource

Donors

We are very grateful for the generosity of the individuals, groups, businesses, foundations and friends that partner with us in the fight against childhood hunger. Together, we’re making a difference in the lives of the food-insecure children throughout Ohio. The gifts and grants reported here reflect funding received between October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2023.

400,000+

AEP_Foundation_Logo_2020_LP
CareSource_Brand_Logo-Vert-Tertiary-RGB_sm
cleveland-clinic

100,000+

ColumbiaGasCoBrandNiSourceCharitableFoundation2020Vertical

Mercy Health - St. Rita’s Medical Center LLC

Ohio mutual insurance 2
NoKidHungry_campaign_10june2

The Ronald and Paula Raymond Foundation

50,000+

Sutton Bank

Fischer Family Foundation

discover-logo-cropped
The-Reinberger-Foundation
Nationwide horitzontal

The Hire Family Foundation

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Heren Foundation USA

The Worthington Companies Foundation small
In Kind:
Sinclair-01

25,000+

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1200px-General_Mills_logo.svg_

Harry C. Moores Foundation

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Champion Companies(1)
Herbalife-Nutrition-Foundation
BEF_logo_187-01X200

Margaret and Robert Walter Foundation

Kroger-ZHZW-Logo_LP2
casto-logo-resized
Cleveland Cavaliers Community Foundation
Fifth Third Bank Logo_sm
PNG
Honda
Designetics
grange-insurance2
united way central ohio

10,000+

Beth Crane and Richard McKee
ASG + Chute Gerdeman
Burton E. Stevenson Fund
Champion Foodservice, LLC.
Charter Next Generation
Children’s Practicing Pediatricians
Citizens National Bank
Crane Group
Edelweiss Foundation
First Merchants Bank
FirstEnergy Foundation
Greif, Inc.
Happy Daz Charities
HealthSCOPE Benefits, Inc.
Hexion Inc.
Huntington National Bank
Ingram-White Castle Foundation

J.E. Fehsenfeld Family Foundation
Kettering Family Philanthropies
KeyBank Foundation
Leading EDJE
Liberty Mutual Insurance | State Auto Insurance
M&O Property Solutions
Mathile Family Foundation
NJM Insurance Group
Nordson Corporation Foundation
Ohio Children’s Foundation
Owens-Illinois
Performance Columbus
PPG Foundation
Roach Family Foundation
SC Ministry Foundation
Siemer Family Foundation
Springfield Foundation

Synthomer Foundation
T. Marzetti Company
Thatcher Family Fund
The AES Ohio Foundation
The Andrew Jergens Foundation
The National Machinery Foundation, Inc.
The Ohio State University Office of Student Life
The Robert Weiler Company
The Sam S. and Rose Stein Foundation
Universal Pallets Inc.
US Bank
Wohlgemuth Herschede Foundation
Worthington Moose Family Center 1427

In-Kind
Because I Said I Would
Universal Pallets Inc.

5,000+

Gillian Thomson and Kent Johnson
Jasmine and Robert Ryu
American Electric Power
Ar-Hale Family Foundation
Columbus Foundation Fellowship Fund
Crowe LLP
Dana Open
DLZ Corporation
Eaton Corporation
Encova Insurance

Ernst & Young
First Financial Foundation
General Mills Foundation
Kaulig Capital LLC
KPMG LLP
Meijer Store #114
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Ohio Education Association
Quantum Health

Stonehenge Partners
Superior Credit Union, Inc.
Sysco
The Ohio State University
TSG Advice Partners
Westerville Sunrise Rotary Foundation

In-Kind
Mills James
Eclipse Creative

Careers

Join Our Team

Children's Hunger Alliance is looking for dedicated people who want to make an impact on the lives of Ohio's kids.

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