State Looks To Help More Kids With Food Programs

A summit held on Monday brought Ohio leaders together to talk about how to make sure low income children get nutritional help all year, not just when school is open.

"A little girl in a K 1-2 elementary building had come down on Monday and her head was so weak, she couldn't hold it up. She had a note. She hadn't eaten all weekend. The teacher gave it to  my cook and it said 'Please give her her something to eat. She hasn't eaten all weekend,'" said Sarah Finch of Urbana City Schools.

The story Finch tells is all too common in Ohio where some families go without refrigerators or stoves in their homes.

In fact, 52 percent of students qualify for free or reduced cost school lunches, reported ONN's Denise Alex.

On Monday, hundreds of government and education leaders from around the state attended a meeting on the federally funded summer food service program.

A record high of nearly 841,000 Ohio students are eligible for free or reduced-cost school lunches based on their family incomes.

"Summer food service programs are typically run sometimes by schools, churches do it, recreation departments," said Kevin Concannon, USDA Under Secretary For Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services.

Concannon and state representative Bob Hackett of Madison County agree that the summer food service program is an investment to keep kids healthy during tough economic times.

"If we can do a good job improving the job situation and getting people's incomes up, then hopefully less and less kids are eligible, and we are turning Ohio around," said Hacket (R), London, District 85.

The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks said less than one-fifth of eligible children participated in the summer program last year. They hope that number is up this summer.

The summer food service program served more than 3.6 million meals at nearly 1,500 sites around the state.

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