Summer lunch program underused by Ohio kids

The end of the school year typically brings smiles and excitement for children, but for some, the closing of school also means the end of a consistent meal.

Roughly 1.8 million Ohio children receive free or reduced school lunches each day, and while programs exist to provide meals to kids during summer break, only a fraction of that number is served. Mary Kershaw, with the Ohio Department of Education, said only 63,000 children were served meals during last summer’s program.

Although there are numerous caveats as to why the numbers will always be different, she said, there is no doubt that there are many kids who could use the program but don’t.

“We think that we can do a whole lot better in Ohio,” she said.

The Ohio Summer Food Service Program starts at most sites Monday, providing free meals to kids. Most of the programs, which are sponsored by local organizations, offer meals to all children regardless of family income. More than 1,500 sites have been approved to serve the meals across the state.

There are 15 programs in Ross County, all run by Ross County Community Action. They started serving meals after Memorial Day.

Some sites also serve breakfast and partner with other programs to provide a safe environment for kids a few hours of the day. Most of the programs run until mid-August.

Summer lunch availability

To find out where summer meal programs are offered, call 866-3-HUNGRY or go to www.education.ohio.gov/kidseat.