Shane Benton is Rural Action’s Food Access Program Manager. Prior to assuming this role, Shane served as an AmeriCorps with Rural Action’s Zero Waste team then with the Sustainable Agriculture program where he helped facilitate the acquisition & distribution of over 70,000 pounds of local food to over 40 food pantries in 9 southeast Ohio counties during the spring & summer of 2023. As Farm to Institution AmeriCorps, Shane served with a team of volunteers providing locally grown produce to local hospitals, schools and school children throughout the 2022-2023 school year and as well as into the summer.
Following many years of working and managing in the service & hospitality industry, Shane graduated from the University of Louisville with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and an English minor. While Shane remains proud of his Kentucky roots, he is excited to be in southeast Ohio working and serving alongside this region’s champions of sustainability as he settles into his new home.
“I’ve been involved with feeding people one way or another for over 20 years and I love it. Food has always been something that has brought people together. It’s more than just economy and commerce; it’s caring and community. Sharing food is a love language and I’m trying to share it with everyone in our region of Appalachia and beyond.”