The Worthington Resource Pantry served 38,539 families during fiscal year 2026, and the number keeps climbing as grocery costs squeeze household budgets across the area. Demand for its services rose 18% year over year from July through September alone, pushing the pantry to spend its own money on extra food just to keep shelves stocked.
That jump reflects a broader strain on the Worthington nonprofit, which has served the community since 2009, according to the Worthington Resource Pantry. Reported services climbed 14% from the previous fiscal year's total of 33,547, as reported by NBC4 WCMH-TV. The pantry also saw a 4% rise in new families seeking help between July and September compared with the same period a year earlier.
Pantry Digging Into Its Own Pocket to Keep Shelves Full
To maintain its current service level, the pantry says it needs to keep an additional three tons of food on its shelves every month, per the station's report. It has had to purchase more food out of pocket as assistance needs grow, and it has added grocery store partners that donate surplus food to help close the gap.
Nick Linkenhoker, executive director of the Worthington Resource Pantry, said some families who previously visited are returning more often because they have fewer food-assistance options available to them. He also pointed to a technical hurdle hitting some households: small errors in SNAP benefits can leave people unable to receive any SNAP benefits at all, he said.
“[The pantry] will rely on the community more than ever to keep food on its shelves,” Linkenhoker said, according to the same account. He added that he is concerned there may be less food on shelves going forward and that the pantry may need to spread some items out to cover more households.
Eight ZIP Codes, One Growing Need
The pantry serves residents from eight ZIP codes in northern Franklin and southern Delaware counties whose incomes fall below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, per its own description of its service area. It offers a wide range of grocery and personal-care items, including fresh produce, dairy, meats, bread and shelf-stable foods, the organization says.
Its most recent inventory included 51,609 pounds of food on hand, compared with 45,576 pounds during the previous year, the Worthington pantry's report notes. With the holiday season approaching, the organization is asking the community for more food drives and donations, and it is encouraging people to contribute food or money to help serve families through the coming months.
A Statewide Squeeze on Food Assistance
Worthington's experience lines up with a wider pattern playing out across Ohio. The Ohio Association of Foodbanks analyzed more than 2,600 verified responses from food pantry visitors across 77 of the state's 88 counties and found that Ohio families are visiting food pantries as they work to keep up with rising food costs, inflation and other external pressures. The association also reported that nearly six in 10 surveyed households had to choose between paying for food or utilities during the past year.
Other Ohio food banks are reporting similar strain. The West Ohio Food Bank continues to see more people seeking assistance at its monthly distribution events, with hundreds served during a single distribution day, according to Hometown Stations; students from Lima Central Catholic High School have volunteered at those events, and the food bank expects demand to keep growing as the holiday season nears. Farther north, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank served more than 404,000 people across six counties and distributed more than 53 million meals through over 1,000 partner agencies during fiscal year 2025, as reported by Cleveland.com.
