COLUMBUS: Anti-poverty groups, policymakers and school administrators are gathering to explore ways to get more Ohio children to participate in summer food programs.
It’s happening at the Summer Food Service Summit in Columbus on Friday.
Some 45 percent of school-aged children in Ohio receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year. But when summer comes, participation in the seasonal companion program available to those same children draws only a fraction of eligible youngsters.
USDA Food and Nutrition Service Undersecretary Kevin Concannon will discuss strategies for feeding more children during the summer months.
Other participants include the Ohio Department of Education, Ohio Association of Foodbanks, and the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.
The event is being held at the Mid-Ohio Food Bank in Grove City.
