It’s a long time till summer, but anti-hunger activists are starting early about how to get kids from low-income families into summertime food programs. Summer food service programs are extremely underused in Ohio - 1 out of 10 kids receiving free or reduced-priced meals during the school year participate in the summer breakfast or lunch programs. Lisa Hamlar-Fugitt is with the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Food Banks.
Last summer, 22 Ohio counties, or one in four, had no sites available for kids who wanted or needed summer breakfast or lunch. The federal government reimburses the state about 10 million dollars for these programs, but often districts are too cash-strapped to put up the money to open up food service sites.