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

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

Brett Radulovich (Chair)
NiSource/Columbia Gas

Ann Whisler (Vice Chair)
Berkshire Hathaway Shoe Holdings

Jessie Flowers
The Ohio State University

 

 

Stephanie Johnson
Battelle

Jason Roche
Bob Evans

Mike Walter
United Healthcare

 

Tyler Smith (Chair)
Mercy Health

Jeremy Hartle
Croak Asset Management

Bailey Koester
Renhill

Dave Kontur
Lucas County Family & Children First Council

Jeff Little
Sun Federal 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.

100,000+

AEP_Foundation_Logo_2020_LP

Ronald And Paula Raymond Charitable Foundation

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Ohio mutual insurance 2

Elaine & Henry Fischer

NoKidHungry_campaign_10june2

50,000+

Honda
Sutton Bank
logo
In Kind:
Sinclair-01
Nationwide horitzontal

The Hire Family Foundation

UnitedHealthCare

25,000+

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BattelleBlueLogoX353
171207_Hexion_Logo copy
Huntington_2022_Logo_2019_GREENGRAY_4C-01
Leading Edje Logo
Worthington-Industries-blue-gray.svg
Bath-Body-Works-Symbol
BEF_logo_187-01X200
1200px-General_Mills_logo.svg_
The-Reinberger-Foundation
Designetics
KeyBank-logo

Harry C. Moores Foundation

Mercy Health - St. Rita’s Medical Center LLC

Springfield Foundation
Humana-logo
grange-insurance2
Herbalife-Nutrition-Foundation
Kroger-ZHZW-Logo_LP2

10,000+

The AES Ohio Foundation
The Andrew Jergens Foundation
Children’s Practicing Pediatricians
Crane Group
Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation
Edelweiss Foundation
First Merchants Bank
Genworth Life Insurance
Greif, Inc.
HealthSCOPE Benefits, Inc.

Ingram-White Castle Foundation
J.E. Fehsenfeld Family Foundation
Johnson Charitable Gift Fund
Kettering Family Philanthropies
Mathile Family Foundation
Ohio Children’s Foundation
Owens-Illinois
The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
PNC Foundation
Roach Family Foundation

Rocky Community Improvement Fund
The Spirit Airlines Charitable Foundation
Synthomer Foundation
T.J. Maxx
Thatcher Family Fund
United Way of Central Ohio
US Bank
The Robert Weiler Company
Wohlgemuth Herschede Foundation

In-Kind:
Else Nutrition GH LTD
Universal Pallets Inc.

5,000+

American Electric Power
Cardinal Health, Inc.
Champion Foodservice, LLC.
The Champion Companies
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns Foundation
Columbia Gas/NiSource Charitable Foundation
Community Health Foundation
Crowe LLP (Columbus Office)
Crown Battery
DLZ Corporation

Encova Insurance
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
First Financial Foundation
Innovation Foods
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
Gillian Thomson and Kent Johnson
Kaulig Capital LLC
KPMG LLP
Michael Lefenfeld
Nestle
Northwestern Mutual - The Kemelgor Financial Group

Ohio Education Association
The Ohio State University
The Reynolds and Reynolds Company
Jasmine and Robert Ryu
Burton E. Stevenson Fund
TSG Advice Partners
Unnewehr Foundation
The Wendy’s Company
Whole Foods Market

In-Kind:
Eclipse Creative

Financials

FISCAL YEAR 2023

Financials for website graphic-1_23

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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