The year was 1981. The #1 song was “Bette Davis Eyes”, the #1 movie was “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, and you may have been still trying to figure out the Rubix Cube. 1981 was the year that our hunger fighting journey began. Even from the beginning, Stark County Hunger Task Force has relied on the generosity of our community. Volunteers launched the initiative, serving 3,000 neighbors a month through four founding pantries. Each year, each decade, the organization grew, furthering its reach in the community. We added more programs. In 2006, our Backpack for Kids program was launched. Much like the community we serve, Stark County Hunger Task Force has had to be resilient. In 2008, our offices were damaged by a fire. The following year, we were presented an opportunity to move into the new Ken Weber Community Campus at Goodwill. This also gave us an opportunity to open our own pantry on campus. In 40 years, we have grown from four pantries to 40 (our lucky number this year!), 3,000 served a month to 34,000 served a month. Stark County has grown and changed in 40 years and so have we. Every person who has served on our board, who has packed a cart, who has donated their time or money has played a vital part in shaping our history. We thank every single one of you for your dedication and compassion. Here’s to 40 more.
To celebrate our 40th Anniversary, we are taking a journey through the decades! On Monday, April 5th we kicked the festivities off with the 1980’s. Our staff and volunteers wore their raddest threads and ate nostalgic 80’s snacks. We will have some fun and easy ways for you to be involved in our celebration. Keep checking our social media and website for updates!
