Summer nourishment keeps kids prepared for school in fall

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By Anthony Gottschlich, Staff Writer Updated 8:54 PM Saturday, June 20, 2009

In a back room of St. Paul United Methodist Church, Chris Hicks smiled as sons Nathan, 3, and Christopher, 2, lunched on chicken salad sandwiches and macaroni salad with apples and strawberries chased by fruit juice and milk.

Another dozen or so children at the church at 101 Huffman Avenue enjoyed the same last week without paying a dime, no matter their economic need. So did hundreds of other children ages 1 to 18 in churches, schools, parks and other sites across the Dayton area — all courtesy of a summer nutrition program sponsored by local school districts, agencies and nonprofit groups and the state and federal government.

The national Summer Food Service Program targets low-income areas where 50 percent or more schoolchildren are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

In these neighborhoods, school leaders know they can’t just focus on feeding brains. They have to feed stomachs as well.

“It’s vital that children keep their health and nutrition at a higher level or maintain (the school-year) level in the summer,” said Cecelia Torok, a child nutrition official with the Ohio Department of Education. “So when they come back in the fall they’re not lethargic, they’re ready to go, they’re ready to learn.”

Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the program serves more than 2 million children across the country at nearly 33,000 parks, schools, camps, churches and other locations. In 2008, the program cost the USDA $312 million.

Food programs

There are 138 sites in the Dayton area hosting the Summer Food Service Program for children 1 to 18, according to the Ohio Department of Education. Call the Children’s Hunger Alliance at (800) 481-6885 to find a site near you.

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