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Some feeding sites open Monday June 8
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.
According to data released by the Ohio Department of Education, more than 630,000 children in Ohio received nutrition assistance through the National School Lunch Program on an average day during the 2012-13 school year, Brown said.
He said, however, many students miss out on this nutrition assistance in the summer months. The SFSP program, a federal nutrition program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and operated by ODE, helps fill the nutrition gap with more than 1,500 sites across Ohio this summer.
Children 1 through 18 are eligible for the SFSP program, as are young adults 19 through 21 who have been identified as having mental or physical disabilities and who are following Individualized Education Programs through their current enrollment in educational programs.
“The summer school break shouldn’t mean a break from nutrition,” Brown said.
There is more than enough food at many of the feeding sites. They also offer educational and physical activities, said Mark Samuel, executive director of Neighborhood Ministries, which sponsors most of the SFSP sites in Mahoning County.
The Mahoning County program started with six sites in 2009 and now has 28, Samuel said.
Retha Austin of Youngstown, who took her children and grandchildren to the feeding sites over the years, is now giving back to the program.
She is on the staff serving meals at the Rockwood Village Community Center and also volunteers there.
“It [SFSP] is important for kids and parents. Neighborhood Ministries helped me a lot, and now I’m helping. We don’t judge nobody. We just help people who need help,” Austin said.
THE SITES
Children 1 through 18 are eligible to receive free meals during the summer months at these participating program sites. Adults 19 through 21 who have been identified as having mental or physical disabilities and are following Individualized Education Programs through their current enrollment in educational programs also are eligible. For information or to find a location near you, call 866-348-6479 or go online to education.ohio.gov and follow prompts.
Mahoning County
Sponsor: Neighborhood Ministries Inc., 75 Jackson St., Campbell, 330-755-8696.
Austintown Elementary School: 245 Idaho Road, Monday-Aug. 14.
Austintown Library: 600 S. Raccoon Road, June 15-Aug. 20.
Brier Hill Community Center: 263 Dupont St., Youngstown, Monday-Aug. 21.
Kirwan Homes Community Center: 75 Jackson St., Campbell, Monday-Aug. 21.
Martin Luther Lutheran Church: 420 Clearmount Drive, Youngstown, Monday-Aug. 21.
New Vision, New Day Ministry:1970 Everett Ave., Youngstown, July 6-Aug. 7.
Newport Branch Library: 3730 Market St., Youngstown, June 15-August 21.
Rockford Village Community Center: 1402 Dogwood Lane, Youngstown, Monday-Aug. 21.
Roosevelt Park, Sycamore Drive, Campbell: Monday-Aug. 21.
Roosevelt Park Reading Christ Community Church: 531 Neoka Drive, Campbell, July 28-Aug. 20.
Shepherd of All God’s Children: 610 N. Lakeview Ave., Youngstown, July 13-Aug. 21.
The Village at Arlington: 516 Griffith St., Youngstown, Thursday-Aug. 21.
Victory Estates:1501 Woodcrest Ave., Youngstown, Monday-Aug. 21.
West Side Community Center: 304 Matta Ave., Youngstown, June 22-Aug. 14.
Boys and Girls Club of Youngstown: 2105 Oak Hill Ave., Youngstown, June 15-Aug. 21.
East High School Youngstown School Alliance: 474 Bennington St., Youngstown, June 15-July 3.
McGuffey Centre: 1649 Jacobs Road, Youngstown, June 15-Aug. 15.
New Bethel Baptist Church: 1507 Hillman St., Youngstown, June 22-July 31.
Wilson Youngstown School Alliance: 2725 Gibson St., Youngstown, June 22-July 31.
Columbiana County
Sponsor: Community Resource Center of East Liverpool, 940 Pennsylvania Ave., 1-330-385-1301.
CAA Salineville: 110 Main St., Salineville, Monday-Aug. 28.
Family Recovery Center: 7300 Rose Drive, Lisbon, Monday-Aug. 28.
First Presbyterian Church: 109 Rebecca St., East Palestine, Monday-Aug. 28.
Meadow View Apartments: 66 S. Washington St., East Palestine, Monday-Aug. 28.
Trumbull County
Sponsor: LaBrae Local School District, 330-898-5863.
LaBrae Intermediate:1001 N. Leavitt Road, Leavittsburg, July 6-Aug. 14.
LaBrae Little Vikings: 4615 W. Market St., Leavittsburg, July 13-July 17.
Warren Revival Center: 4400 W. Market St., Leavittsburg, through Aug. 12.
Sponsor: Warren City School District. Go online to Warren City Schools, look for Summer Nutrition Program prompt.
Because of Him Ministry: 1212 Tod Ave., Warren, Monday-Friday.
Community Garden-Laird Avenue: 565 Laird Ave., Warren, Monday-Aug. 7.
Emmanuel Lutheran Church: 140 Cherry St. NW, Warren, Monday-Aug. 7.
Grace AME Church: 1137 Main Ave. SW, Warren, June 22-June 26.
Hampshire House: 1244 5th St., Warren, Monday-Aug. 7.
Highland Terrace Community Center: 377 Lane Drive, Warren, Monday-Aug. 7.
Jefferson Elementary School: 1543 Tod Ave. SW, Warren, through Aug. 7.
Lincoln K-8 School: 2253 Atlantic St. NE, Warren, through Aug. 7.
McGuffey Elementary School: 3465 Tod Ave. NW, Warren, through Aug. 7.
New Freedom Missionary Baptist Church: 1590 Tod Ave. NW, Warren, June 15-20.
North Mar Church of the Christian and Missionary Alliance: 3855 E. Market St., Warren, June 15-18.
Packard Park: Mahoning Avenue Northwest, Warren, Tuesday-Aug. 7.
Prospect Elementary School: 700 Prospect St., Girard, July 20-Aug. 7.
Royal Mall: 35 Royal Mall, Niles, June 15-Aug. 7.
Shepherd of All God’s Children: 1928 Niles Road, Warren, Monday-Aug. 7.
Valley Counseling: 318 Mahoning Ave., Warren, Monday-Aug. 7.
Waddell Park: Sharkey Road, Niles, June 15-Aug. 7.
Warren G. Harding High School: 860 Elm Road NE, Warren, through Aug. 7.
Warren Heights Apartments: 504 Douglas NW, Warren, Monday-Aug. 7.
Willard Avenue K-8 School: 2020 Willard Ave., Warren, through Aug. 7.
Trumbull Family Fitness: 201 High St. NW, Warren, through Aug. 21.
YWCA: 375 N. Park Ave., Warren, Monday-Aug. 7.
Source: U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown