ASHLAND – During the summer months, many kids struggle to eat nutritious meals. A recent study found that more than 3,000 young people in Ashland County suffer from food insecurity.
While schools provide lunches for them most of the year, other organizations are needed to step in to make sure those students are fed when school is out. Ashland Public Library, in conjunction with Ashland County Family & Children First Council, is launching the Library Lunch Bunch summer meal program, an extension of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s Summer Food Service Program.
“The program is only available to school districts that qualify for a certain amount of free and reduced lunches, and it’s basically to meet the nutritional needs of those students who typically would only get their meals through school, what happens to them during the summer,” Library Director William Rutger said.
Starting June 7 and continuing through Aug. 19, the program provides free meals to children at two distribution sites staffed by Ashland Public Library employees. The meals are available to all children, regardless of their family’s economic situation.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m., cold lunches will be served to preschoolers to 18-year-olds at the library. In addition, the Ashland Public Library Bookmobile will serve lunches at Cahn Grove Park from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Along with the meals, there will be activities and prizes at the distribution sites.
The Loudonville Public Library is also taking part in the program, with meals served in Loudonville’s Central Park on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Dr. Diane Karther, Director of Ashland County Family & Children First Council, coordinated this summer’s program. Karther explained that this summer lunch program for children stems from a large Community Health Assessment study sponsored by the Council last spring. The study found that 20 percent of Ashland children live in poverty and that 3,430 children experience food insecurity.
As a result of the health assessment, the FCFC created a target action group — Building Bridges Out of Poverty — to explore solutions and address the impact of poverty. This group then created a partnership to feed the children, which resulted in the Library Lunch Bunch.
“This program is a priority because despite the publicity of improved employment and economics, families are still struggling to provide the basics for their children,” Karther said. “Wage levels do not meet the costs of food, shelter, bills, health care, etc. for families with children. The poorest citizens are the children in our county and nation.”
The OSU Extension Program is helping the library plan the meals and activities and an educator from the program will be providing once weekly education sessions for the children on nutrition and physical fitness with take-home information for families.
Funding for the program was provided by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, USDA, Children’s Hunger Alliance, and Paramount Advantage. St. Edward’s Church and the First Presbyterian Church are supporting the Library Lunch Bunch by storing the lunches and providing volunteers.
Menus will be posted at the distribution sites so those with food allergies can check what food will be served. Program rules require that meals are to be consumed at the distribution site.
The Greater Cleveland Food Bank also provided mandatory food safety training for those staffing the distribution sites.
In past years, the distribution site was at St. Edward’s Church, however, program organizes hope more children will be served by providing multiple sites for distribution.
