Campaign aims to fight hunger, help food banks

ROME TOWNSHIP — The Lawrence County Community Foundation (LCCF) is bringing a new campaign to fight local hunger to the 2025 Lawrence County Fair.

Called Fill the Freezer, the campaign invites buyers at the fair’s July 12 livestock sale to donate their market lamb, goat, hog or beef purchases to fill the freezers of the county’s food pantries and fight hunger — one pound at a time.

“As we celebrate the achievements of our 4-H and FFA youth at this year’s livestock sale, we’re proud to help turn their hard work into nourishment for our neighbors who need a helping hand,” said Terri Taylor, chair of LCCF’s Fill the Freezer committee. “At the Lawrence County Community Foundation, we strive to make a lasting difference in our communities, and Fill the Freezer is just the latest example of how we can come together to build a stronger Lawrence County.”

The Fill the Freezer campaign is held in partnership with the Lawrence County Fair Board, local 4-H and FFA members, meat processors and Facing Hunger Foodbank, which will help distribute the donated meat to food pantries and mobile units serving Lawrence County. Thanks to donors to its endowment fund, LCCF is covering the meat processing costs.

The locally-raised meat donated through Fill the Freezer will not only help individuals and families in Lawrence County, where more than 18 percent of the population experiences food insecurity, but also the food pantries striving to fill that need. 

Of the 445,000 pounds of food Facing Hunger Foodbank distributed in Lawrence County in 2023, only 38,000 pounds — less than 10 percent — were protein.

The Lawrence Economic Development Corporation, Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization and Lawrence County Commission spearheaded the creation of LCCF in July 2022 to establish and grow permanent charitable funds and resources that provide continuous investment in Lawrence County. LCCF is one of 15 affiliate foundation partners of the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO), a regional community foundation serving the 32 counties of Appalachian Ohio.

LCCF is one of seven FAO affiliate foundation partners spearheading the Fill the Freezer campaign, which was piloted in the region in 2021 by the Community Foundation for Perry County. In 2024 alone, nearly 25,000 pounds of meat were donated through these programs.

To learn more about LCCF’s Fill the Freezer campaign, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org/Lawrence/Fill-the-Freezer, email Lawrence@ffao.org or call 740-753-1111.