FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nate Beeler
Director, Communications & Marketing
Children’s Hunger Alliance
614-643-8051
nbeeler@childrenshungeralliance.org
Children’s Hunger Alliance raises $527,000 while celebrating statewide partners
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Former White House Chef Sam Kass shared the stage with childcare providers, educators, state legislators, and corporate leaders at the 31st Annual Menu of Hope at the Hyatt Regency Columbus on Thursday, March 5, 2026, helping to raise $527,000 for Children’s Hunger Alliance (CHA). Every dollar raised goes to support CHA’s programs that provide nutritious meals and food education to Ohio’s children right where they are, every day of the year.
As the event’s special guest, Kass talked about being the First Family’s chef and his role as Senior White House Policy Advisor on Nutrition in the Obama Administration. The food policy expert discussed the critical role nutrition plays in children’s development and encouraged the crowd of corporate and legislative leaders to support establishing statewide nutrition education standards; Ohio is the only state without any. A group of state legislators is currently working with CHA on a bill to move this work forward.
This year’s Menu of Hope drew an audience of over 600 corporate, government, and community champions to learn more about CHA’s work across the state. Central Ohio leaders from Walter Foundation and The Marzetti Company talked about how community support is crucial to ending childhood hunger, which affects 1 in 5 children in Ohio.
CHA Governing Board Chair Nikki Scarpitti bestowed Legislator of the Year honors on State Sens. Michele Reynolds (3rd District) and Kent Smith (21st District), and State Reps. Dontavius L. Jarrells (1st District) and Andrea White (36th District) for their advocacy on behalf of Ohio’s children.
Mercy Health – St. Rita’s Medical Center earned the Community Impact Award for its dedication to combating childhood food insecurity in the Lima area. Since 2021, St. Rita’s has partnered with CHA to provide nutritious meals to area children when school’s out. After its inaugural support of CHA’s Weekend Meals program, the hospital has continually increased its investment while also boosting awareness of CHA’s work throughout Northwest Ohio.
CHA also honored six Programs of the Year:
- In-Home Childcare Provider of the Year: Shali Cox (Sandusky County)
- Childcare Center Program of the Year: A&J Kiducation Learning Center and Kiducation Youth Center (Columbiana County)
- Summer Meals Program of the Year: Madison County Vineyard (Madison County)
- School Breakfast Program of the Year: Bridgeport Exempted Village Schools (Belmont County)
- Weekend Meals Program of the Year: Reynoldsburg City Schools (Franklin, Licking, and Fairfield Counties)
- Afterschool & Nutrition Education Program of the Year: Imani Family Center at Rothenberg Preparatory Academy (Hamilton County)
During Menu of Hope, in-person and livestream guests heard from CHA President and CEO Michelle M. Brown, who shared a message of hope highlighting the 10.1 million nutritious meals CHA provided to nearly 125,000 children across Ohio in 2025.
This year’s Menu of Hope was presented by Walter Foundation and co-emceed by ABC 6/FOX 28 anchors Mike McCarthy and Jessica Ralston. Other major patrons included The Kroger Co., The Marzetti Company, ABC 6/FOX 28, The Champion Companies, AEP Ohio, Nationwide Insurance, Amgen, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, Champion Foodservice, Encova Insurance, Grange Insurance, Hexion, Mercy Health – St. Rita’s Medical Center, Ohio Education Association, The Robert Weiler Company, Safelite Foundation, and Schoedinger Funeral & Cremation Service.
Over half a million children in Ohio are living with food insecurity, meaning they don’t have access to enough food to thrive. Menu of Hope supports CHA’s programs that meet the most basic need for children as they grow and set them up for a lifetime of healthy eating — because every child deserves the chance to reach their full potential.
About Children’s Hunger Alliance
Since 1970, CHA has been leading the charge to end childhood hunger in Ohio, providing nutritious meals and food education to children right where they are, every day of the year. CHA is the largest comprehensive statewide organization focused solely on children’s food security and nutrition education. In 2025, CHA provided 10.1 million meals to 125,000 children while partnering with nearly 1,600 sites across 74 counties.
For more information, please visit www.childrenshungeralliance.org.
Connect with us on LinkedIn – @CHAohio, Instagram – @childrenshungeralliance, and Facebook – @CHAohio.
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