YOUNGSTOWN, OH – With schools closing for the summer, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) alerted Mahoning Valley parents to local sites where children can receive free breakfasts, lunches, and snacks through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). While more than 680,000 Ohio children are eligible for nutrition assistance during the school year, only a small fraction of them utilize the program, which helps ensure children don’t go hungry during the summer months. Last year more than 3.8 million meals were served around Ohio in the summer months – including 75,000 meals at Mahoning County sites. Brown released a report of SFSP sites open to children in the Mahoning Valley this summer.

“Summer break shouldn’t mean a break from good nutrition,” Brown said. “But for too many Ohio children who qualify for free or reduced-lunches during the year, the end of the school year means the end of good nutrition. That’s why I’m alerting Ohio families to the Summer Food Service Program and the more than 1,500 sites – like West Side Community Center – serving free meals this summer. Every child should have enough food to keep growing and learning after the final school bell rings.”

At West Side Community Center, Brown joined by Retha Austin, whose children and grandchildren utilize the summer feeding program and Mark Samuel, who operates a number of SFSP sites in the Youngstown area, to raise awareness of local summer feeding sites. In addition to breakfast, lunch, and snacks during the day, the West Side Community Center also provides tutoring, youth programs, and job training.

According to data released by the Ohio Department of Education, more than 680,000 Ohio children received free or reduced-priced lunch on an average day; however, many students miss out on this nutrition assistance in the summer months. The SFSP program – a federal nutrition program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – will operate at more than 1,500 sites across Ohio this summer.

The National School Lunch Program provides free, nutritious meals to children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty level and reduced-price lunches between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level. Similarly, the SFSP provides free meals and snacks to help children in low-income areas get the nutrition they need throughout the summer months when they are out of school. SFSP is run locally by approved sponsors, including school districts, local government agencies, camps, or private nonprofit organizations.

While serving as Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Hunger, Nutrition, and Family Farms, Brown wrote the Hunger-Free Schools Act, which would help reduce paperwork and enroll already-eligible students in childhood nutrition programs through direct certification. Brown’s bill was the centerpiece of the anti-hunger component of a new law enacted in 2010, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. During Agriculture Committee consideration of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, Brown successfully passed two amendments to the legislation. One of those amendments, a bipartisan piece of legislation offered with Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), ensures greater access to summer feeding programs for children.

A list of Mahoning Valley SFSP sites is below and here.

 

Organization

Location

Duration

 

Mahoning County

 

Austintown Local SD

 

 

Austintown Elementary School

245 Idaho Rd Youngstown, OH 44515

 

June 8th to August 14th

 

 

Neighborhood Ministries Inc

 

Austintown Library

600 S. Raccoon Road Austintown, OH 44515

June 15th to August 20th

 

 

Neighborhood Ministries Inc

 

Brier Hill Community Center

263 Dupont Street  Youngstown, OH 44510

June 8th to August 21st

 

 

 

Neighborhood Ministries Inc

 

Kirwan Homes Community Center

75 Jackson Street, Campbell, OH 44405

June 8th to August 21st

Neighborhood Ministries Inc

Martin Luther Lutheran Church

420 Clearmount Drive Youngstown, OH 44511

June 8th to August 21st

 

 

Neighborhood Ministries Inc

 

New Vision, New Day Ministry

1970 Everett Avenue

Youngstown, OH 44514

July 6th to August 7th

 

 

Neighborhood Ministries Inc

 

Newport Branch Library , 3730 Market Street Youngstown, OH 44507

June 15th to August 21st

 

Neighborhood Ministries Inc

 

Rockford Village Community Center

1402b Dogwood Lane Youngstown, OH 44505

June 8th to August 21st

 

 

Neighborhood Ministries Inc

 

Roosevelt Park  Sycamore Drive  Campbell, OH 44405

June 8th to August 21st

 

Neighborhood Ministries Inc

 

Roosevelt Park Reading Christ Community Church 

531 Neoka Dr

Campbell, OH 44405

July 28th to August 20th

Neighborhood Ministries Inc

 

Shepard of All God's Children

610 North Lakeview Ave Youngstown, OH 44509

July 13th to August 21st

 

 

Neighborhood Ministries Inc

 

The Village at Arlington 516 Griffith Street Youngstown , 44510

June 11th to August 21st

 

Neighborhood Ministries Inc

 

Victory Estates

1501 Woodcrest Ave. Youngstown, OH 44505

June 8th to August 21st

 

Neighborhood Ministries Inc

 

West Side Community Center

304 Matta Avenue

Youngstown, OH 44507

June 22nd to August 14th

 

 

Neighborhood Ministries Inc

 

Boys and Girls Club of Youngstown

2105 Oak Hill Avenue Youngstown, OH 44507

June 15th to August 21st

 

 

Neighborhood Ministries Inc

 

East High School Yo School Alliance

474 Bennington Street Youngstown, OH 44505

June 15th to July 3rd

 

 

Neighborhood Ministries Inc

 

McGuffy Community Center

1649 Jacobs Rd.  Youngstown, OH 44505

June 15th to August 15th

Neighborhood Ministries Inc

New Bethel Baptist Church

1507 Hillman Street  Youngstown, OH 44507

June 22nd to July 31st

Neighborhood Ministries Inc

 

Wilson Yo School Alliance

2725 Gibson Street Youngstown, OH 44502

June 22nd to July 31st

 

 

 

Columbiana County

 

Comm Res Ctr Of E Liverpool

 

Bank Street Playground Bank & Chester Streets East Liverpool, OH 43920

June 8th to August 28th

 

Comm Res Ctr Of E Liverpool

 

CAA Salineville

110 Main Street , Salineville, OH 43945

June 8th to August 28th

 

Comm Res Ctr Of E Liverpool

 

 

Columbiana Metropolitian Housing 100 Wilbert Avenue

East Liverpool, OH 43920

June 8th to August 28th

 

 

 

Comm Res Ctr Of E Liverpool

 

Family Recovery Center 7300 Rose Drive

Lisbon, OH 44432

June 8th to August 28th

 

Comm Res Ctr Of E Liverpool

 

First Presbyterian Church 109 Rebecca Street

East Palestine, OH 44413

June 8th to August 28th

 

Comm Res Ctr Of E Liverpool

 

Fulmer Park Playground 8th and Moore Streets , East Liverpool, OH 43920

June 8th to August 28th

 

 

Comm Res Ctr Of E Liverpool

 

Independence Square  Independence Square  Wellsville, OH 43968

June 8th to August 28th

 

Comm Res Ctr Of E Liverpool

 

Klondyke Playground Ohio Avenue

East Liverpool, OH 43920

June 8th to August 28th

 

 

Comm Res Ctr Of E Liverpool

 

Meadow View Apt.

66 South Washington St East Palestine, OH 44413

June 8th to August 28th

 

Comm Res Ctr Of E Liverpool

Willie Cook Playground St. George Street

East Liverpool, OH 43920

June 8th to August 28th


Trumbull County

LaBrae Local SD

 

LaBrae Intermediate 1001 N Leavitt Leavittsburg, OH 44430

July 6th to August 14th

 

LaBrae Local SD

 

LaBrae Little Vikings SFSPa

4615 W Market Street  Leavittsburg, OH 44430

July 13th to July 17th

 

LaBrae Local SD

 

 

Warren Revival Center-SFSP

4400 W. Market St. NW  Leavittsburg, OH 44430

June 3rd to August 12th

 

 

Warren City SD

 

Because of Him Ministry 1212 Tod Avenue Warren, OH 44485

June 8th to June 12th

 

Warren City SD

Community Garden - Laird Avenue

565 Laird

Warren, OH 44483

June 8th to August 7th

Warren City SD

 

Emmanuel Lutheran Church

140 Cherry Street NW Warren, OH 44485

June 8th to August 7th

 

Warren City SD

 

Grace AME Church

1137 Main Ave SW Warren, OH 44483

June 22nd to June 26th

 

Warren City SD

 

Greentree Services

430 Franklin Street Warren, OH 44483

Information not available

 

Warren City SD

 

Hampshire House

1244 5th Street

Warren, OH 44485

June 8th to August 7th

 

Warren City SD

 

Highland Terrace Community Center

377 Lane Drive

Warren, OH 44483

June 8th to August 7th

 

Warren City SD

 

Jefferson Elementary School

1543 Tod Avenue

Warren, OH 44485

June 2nd to August 7th

 

Warren City SD

 

Lincoln K-8

2253 Atlantic Street NE  Warren, OH 44483

June 2nd to August 7th

 

Warren City SD

 

Mcguffey Elementary School

3465 Tod Ave NW  Warren, OH 44485

June 2nd to August 7th

 

Warren City SD

 

 

New Freedom Missionary Baptist Church

1590 Tod Avenue , Warren, OH 44485

June 15th to June 20th

 

 

Warren City SD

 

 

North Mar Church of the Christian and Missionary Alliance

3855 E. Market

Warren, OH 44484

June 15th to June 18th

 

 

Warren City SD

 

Packard Park

Mahoning Avenue  Warren, OH 44483

June 9th to August 7th

 

Warren City SD

 

Prospect Elementary School

700 Prospect

Girard, OH 44420

July 20th to August 7th

 

Warren City SD

 

Royal Mall

35 Royal Mall

Niles, OH 44446

June 15th to August 7th

 

Warren City SD

 

 

Shepherd of All God's Children

1928 Niles Road

Warren, OH 44483

June 8th to August 7th

 

 

Warren City SD

 

Valley Counseling

318 Mahoning Avenue Warren, OH 44483

June 8th to August 7th

 

Warren City SD

 

Waddell Park

Sharkey Road

Niles, OH 44446

June 15th to August 7th

 

Warren City SD

 

 

Warren G Harding High School

860 Elm Rd NE

Warren, OH 44483

June 2nd to August 7th

 

 

Warren City SD

 

 

Warren Heights Apartments

504 Douglas NW  Warren, OH 44483

June 8th to August 7th

 

 

Warren City SD

 

 

Willard Avenue K-8 School

2020 Willard Avenue Warren, OH 44484

June 2nd to August 7th

 

 

Warren City SD

 

YMCA

375 N. Park

Warren , OH 44481

June 2nd to August 7th

 

Warren City SD

 

YWCA

North Park Avenue Warren, OH 44483

June 8th to August 7th

 

 

 

 

 

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