Governor's Office Responds Ensuring Ohio Children Have Summer Meals

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A $300,000 award from the Governor's Office will allow Children's Hunger Alliance (CHA) to provide more meals to Ohio's children during the summer. Many families cannot provide consistent access to food for their children, particularly during summer break. This generous funding will allow CHA to bridge the meal gap many children face each summer.

Only one in ten children who receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year have access to summer meal programs. As part of the COVID-19 pandemic relief legislation, federal requirements that congregate meals are served was waived, along with allowing more flexibility in how meals are distributed. With the waivers, summer meal distribution increased by 212% from 2019 to 2021; nearly 1.9 million meals were distributed in 2019, which increased to almost 5.9 million meals in 2021. The waivers allowed CHA, and partners, to distribute ready-to-eat meals for an entire week in high need rural areas where transportation may be an issue. They also allowed us to operate several mobile routes across the state with stops in apartment complexes, parks, and places where kids gather. The USDA's announcement allowing these waivers to expire meant that fewer meals will be served under the federal nutrition programs. The funding from the Governor's Office will ensure sites that don't qualify still have needed meals to reach Ohio's hungry children.

"On behalf of CHA and the children that depend on us for summer meals I sincerely thank Governor DeWine for prioritizing the food insecure children of Ohio with this funding," said Judy Mobley, CEO of CHA. "We can partner with approximately 150 meal sites this year versus 300 last summer under the Summer Food Service Program, funded by the USDA, due to the expiration of the waivers. This financial support from Ohio is critical to allowing CHA to reach more children who would otherwise not have the food they need to live a healthy life."

The summer months are one of the hardest times of the year for hungry children. CHA appreciates that the Governor responded to this critical need.

Since 1970, CHA has worked to ensure that children across Ohio have access to the food they need to live a healthy life.

Contact: Melanie Ryan
Director, Communications & Marketing
Children's Hunger Alliance
614-643-8051
[email protected]

SOURCE Children's Hunger Alliance