Low-Income Kids Receive Summer Meal Assistance
98 views · Published 12 June 2012 · 1:44 · Indexed 10 November 2026
Channel: Dayton 24/7 Now · 2012 · News & Politics
DAYTON -- For many kids in the Miami Valley, the end of the school year means the end of regular meals. But, a local program is helping families bridge the summer gap. On Monday, the Summer Feeding Program kicked off and hundreds of kids and their parents gathered at McCabe Park to eat lunch. "It's always a struggle for me because I'm a single mom raising 3 kids," said Ayonna Johnson, a Miami Valley mother. Johnson said the summer months can be the hardest because school is out. She said her finances rise substantially and it is always a struggle. However, today her kids are eating lunch courtesy of the state's summer feeding program. "I save a lot because now that they're eating lunch, they're good until dinner time," she said."For most of the families, it's the first meal of the day," said Beverly Hayden, McCabe Park meal site Director. Kids are provided USDA reimbursable meals which meet the government's nutritional requirements."At the end of the month, there is no extra money for food or lunch so being able to get a good meal in the day is a blessing for parents," said Hayden.Children 18 and younger can receive a free meal. Sites operate in low-income areas where most children receive free and reduced-priced school meals. There are 75 meal sites in Montgomery County. All of them serve lunch and some of them serve breakfast. To find a site near you, call 1-800-481-6885.
