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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:*
November 6, 2025




*MEDIA CONTACTS:
*Dan Tierney: 614-644-0957
Nathan Takitch: 614-644-0957






Gov. DeWine Provides Update on Efforts to Support Food Assistance During Federal Shutdown

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today provided a series of updates on the State’s ongoing efforts to support Ohio families being affected by the suspension of federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) announced [ [link removed] ] this week that they had received new federal guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding the possibility of providing partial SNAP benefits for the month of November.

As the process of reviewing this guidance continues, ODJFS has reported to the Governor that, without an immediate resolution to the shutdown, SNAP benefits will not be available this week.

With this understanding, Governor DeWine reaffirmed today that the plan he announced last week [ [link removed] ] – providing up to $25 million in support of food assistance to help families impacted by the suspension of SNAP benefits – continues to move forward.

*Assistance for Food Banks*

The first part of the Governor’s plan directed ODJFS to provide $7 million to regional food banks across the state.

Today, the Governor announced that the state has transferred the following amounts to  the regional food banks listed below, with each amount based on the food bank’s percentage of customers in the SNAP caseload:


* Freestore Foodbank – $795,637.50
* Greater Cleveland Food Bank – $1,170,837.50
* Toledo Seagate Food Bank – $570,937.50
* Mid-Ohio Food Collective – $1,440,337.50
* Shared Harvest Foodbank – $1,431,937.50
* Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank – $887,337.50
* Second Harvest Foodbank of the Mahoning Valley – $427,437.50
* Second Harvest Foodbank of North Central Ohio – $275,537.50

*Assistance for Extremely Low-Income Families with Children *

The Governor’s plan also directs ODJFS to provide up to $18 million in emergency relief benefits to more than 63,000 Ohioans – including more than 57,000 children – who are at or below 50% of the federal poverty level. These individuals are recipients of Ohio Works First (OWF) – a program that provides needed assistance for extremely low-income families with children.

Should the shutdown continue for the entire month of November, the Governor’s plan would effectively double the monthly OWF benefit for OWF recipients.

Under the Governor’s plan, these families are set to receive their typical monthly OWF allotment, plus an additional weekly benefit equaling 25% of their typical monthly OWF allotment. The weekly payments will last up to four weeks or until federal SNAP funding resumes.

Today, the Governor announced that this portion of the plan continues to move forward as well. ODJFS expects OWF recipients to receive their first installment of emergency relief benefits by Friday, Nov. 7.

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The Governor also provided an update regarding the Ohio Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program:

*WIC*

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) received $10.3 million on Tuesday from the USDA to continue WIC benefits. This funding allows ODH to continue to offer food benefits to eligible mothers, infants, and children into December. 

Ohio mothers, infants, and children can receive supplemental, highly nutritious foods such as cereal, eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, whole grain foods, fruit and vegetables, peanut butter, beans, fish, and iron-fortified infant formula.

WIC helps eligible pregnant and breastfeeding women, women who recently had a baby, infants, and children up to 5 years of age through supplemental nutrition, nutrition education, and referrals to prenatal and pediatric healthcare, and other maternal and child health and human service programs.

Ohio WIC funds 75 local agencies to provide services in all 88 counties, serving an average of 180,000 mothers, infants, and children per month.

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This email was sent to [email protected] using govDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Governor DeWine Communications · Riffe Center, 30th Floor, 77 South High Street · Columbus, OH 43215-6117 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]

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