CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — In a major push to combat local hunger and environmental waste, the Ross County Health District (RCHD) has officially launched a “Food Rescue” pilot program in partnership with healthcare and nonprofit leaders.
The initiative collects safe, high-quality food that would otherwise be discarded from large-scale kitchens and redistributes it to families in need across Ross County.
The First Rescue
On Thursday, February 26, the program completed its first delivery. RCHD staff worked with the Unidine Corporation, which handles hospitality services for Adena Regional Medical Center, to recover surplus food from the hospital’s inventory.
The food was delivered directly to the Good Samaritan Food Pantry in Chillicothe, where it was met by representatives from the United Way of Ross County. Currently, these donations from Adena to the food pantry are scheduled on a biweekly basis.
A Growing Need for Ross County Families
The pilot arrives at a critical time for local social services. Mike Thompson, General Manager of the Good Samaritan Food Pantry, noted that the facility saw 947 new families seek assistance last year.
“We’ve got almost 60 new families coming already this month,” Thompson said during a tour of the facility. “We serve Ross County individuals only; we serve our people first”.
Collaboration and Legal Protection
The project is a core goal of the Ross County Food Network, a revitalized group of community agencies working to identify where food is being wasted and how to get it back into the community.
Local officials emphasized that business owners are protected when donating in good faith:
- The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act (1996): Protects donors from civil and criminal liability when donating to nonprofits.
- The 2023 Food Donation Improvement Act: Strengthened these laws by extending protections to cover donations made directly to individuals and other groups.
“This pilot shows what’s possible when healthcare, nonprofits, and public health work together,” said RCHD Health Commissioner Janelle McManis.
How to Get Involved
The RCHD is inviting other local businesses and organizations to join the food rescue mission.
- Physical Donations: Can be dropped off at the Good Samaritan Food Pantry, 255 N. Woodbridge Avenue, Chillicothe.
- Monetary Support: Donations to assist with food insecurity can be made through the United Way of Ross County website.
- Partnership Inquiries: Businesses interested in rescuing food can contact RCHD Coordinator Jordan George at 740-775-9652.
