50+ sites in tri-county area will serve eligible kids 2 meals plus snacks this summer

YOUNGSTOWN

With school-based free and reduced-cost meals not available during the summer, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland, alerted Mahoning Valley families there are more than 50 sites in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties where children can receive free breakfasts, lunches, and snacks through the federal Summer Food Service Program.

Brown kicked off the 2015 tri-county Summer Food Service Program – or SFSP – at a news conference Friday at the West Side Community Center, one of the SFSP sites where children can get two of the three meals available.

Many of the sites open Monday.

Brown said more than 680,000 Ohio children are eligible for nutrition assistance during the school year, but only a small fraction of those use the summer program for which they also are eligible. Last year, more than 3.8 million SFSP meals were served in Ohio, including 75,000 meals at Mahoning County sites.

Read more about the situation and the service in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.