Northeast Ohio food banks see demand for help rise as food prices increase

Thanksgiving brings together family and friends and is a holiday built largely around food.  But like so much else these days, the cost of preparing that Thanksgiving dinner has increased significantly over the last year. The American Farm Bureau Federation says the average cost of preparing a traditional Thanksgiving meal has jumped about 20% from last  year. One of the priciest items this year: turkey. The rising cost of inflation means more people are struggling to keep up and are increasingly turning to food banks to help.  But those food banks are also seeing their dollars stretched by higher prices.

But first on the show, the board of trustees of the MetroHealth System ousted its longtime CEO, Dr. Akram Boutros, on Monday night.  The board, in an emailed statement to the media, said it fired Boutros for improperly authorizing nearly $2 million in bonus payments to himself without the board’s approval. On Tuesday, Boutros, through a statement  from his lawyer, said he will be taking legal action against the board, claiming the dismissal was retaliation against Boutros after he alleged improper practices in the hiring of his replacement as CEO.  Boutros had announced in 2021 that we would step down at the end of this year—saying the time was right for a change in leadership.  Boutros’ tenure—which began in 2013-- saw the transformation of Metro’s campus and the surrounding Clark-Fulton neighborhood. 

Later in the hour, from the civil rights movement to the murder of George Floyd on a Minneapolis street, the camera has borne witness to history and helped to drive social and cultural change. In his new book, The Prophetic Lens, author Phil Allen Jr. discusses how the way Americans view Black America changes when the unblinking eye of the camera records reality.  

Taylor Wizner, Health Reporter, Ideastream Public Media  
Kristin Warzocha, President & CEO, The Greater Cleveland Food Bank
Dan Flowers, President & CEO, Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank 
Phil Allen Jr., Author, "The Prophetic Lens"