Congresswoman Brown Announces Greater Cleveland Food Bank President Kristin Warzocha as Guest for President’s Address

Cleveland, OH – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) announces that Kristin Warzocha, President and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, will be her guest at President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress on Tuesday, March 4. 

Congresswoman Brown is the Vice Ranking Member on the House Committee on Agriculture, which has jurisdiction over the nation’s nutrition programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Last week, House Republicans passed a budget resolution calling for $230 billion in cuts to the SNAP. Congresswoman Brown voted against this budget and is strongly opposed to cuts to SNAP. 

Brown and Warzocha will be available for interviews Tuesday from 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM. 

“I’m honored to have Kristin Warzocha as my guest for the Joint Address to Congress. Kristin is a trusted community leader and an expert on the needs of everyday people in Northeast Ohio. At a time when many in Congress are pursuing cuts to key programs like SNAP, I want my colleagues to understand that these cuts will not make our country stronger, they will force more folks to rely on food banks—or go hungry,” said Congresswoman Brown. “The Greater Cleveland Food Bank has been a shining light in our community, providing needed services for hundreds of thousands of people across our region and I also want to help recognize the work of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s staff and volunteers. I look forward to having Kristin join me next week and shining a spotlight on the importance of fighting hunger in Northeast Ohio.”  

“I want to thank Congresswoman Shontel Brown for welcoming me to Washington for this year’s State of the Union Address. Thousands of our friends and neighbors are facing so much uncertainty right now and often don’t know where or how they will get their next meal. Let’s use this historic gathering to shine a light on their challenges, tell their stories, and recommit ourselves to standing up for those facing hunger. Compassion and action go hand-in-hand, and together, we can advocate for policies that ensure that no one in our community or across the country has to go to bed hungry,” said Kristin Warzocha, President and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.

According to the USDA, 21% of households in OH-11 (75,000 households total) rely on SNAP benefits, this includes 39% of households with children, 42% of households with an elderly person, and 51% of households with a person with a disability. The percentage of households in OH-11 that depend on SNAP is the highest for a congressional district in Ohio. 

The Greater Cleveland Food Bank is the largest hunger relief organization in Northeast Ohio having served over 424,000 people in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Ashland and Richland counties in FY2024. In 2022, Congresswoman Brown secured $4 million in Community Project Funding for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s Capital Expansion and Capacity Building Project. 

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