One in every four Stark County children is hungry or food insecure, meaning they don’t have consistent access to food, according to Stark County Hunger Task Force.
To combat hunger, several local schools and organizations have stepped up to ensure kids have full bellies during their summer break.
The School Nutrition Association says every year more than 30 million children do not have access to free or reduced-price meals during the summer months and turn to local food banks and organizations to assist.
Hunger can impact kids in different ways, including impairing the ability to concentrate, increasing the chances of becoming sick and taking longer to recover, and increasing behavioral or emotional problems, according to NoKidHungry.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce’s summer food program, SUN Meals, allows kids ages 1 through 18 to receive free meals during the summer months at participating program sites. Those 19 through 21 who have been identified as having mental or physical disabilities and are following individualized education programs also are eligible for the free meals.
The Canton Repository compiled a list of area places offering free meals. To learn more about other sites throughout the state, visit the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce website.
Alliance
Alliance City Schools will offer free breakfast and lunch Monday through Thursday at the following locations:
All food must be eaten on site.
Brown Local
Brown Local Schools will serve breakfast from 8:30 to 9 a.m. and lunch from 11:45 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday at Malvern High School cafeteria, 3242 Coral Road NW. There will be no meals on June 13 or 20.
Canton City
Beginning June 9 through July 24, Canton City Schools will offer free meals from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. for breakfast and 11 a.m. to noon for lunch for kids 18 and younger at the Downtown Career Campus Commons, 521 Tuscarawas St. W. Meals must be eaten on site. Adult supervision requested.
The Stark County Hunger Task Force will pass out backpacks from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday through Aug. 8 at the Ken Weber Community Center Campus at Goodwill, 408 Ninth St. SW. The backpack includes two breakfasts, two lunches and two snacks. Backpacks are available to kids ages 3 to 17 on a first-come, first-served basis.
The task force has partnered with the Stark Library to distribute backpacks through Aug. 8 at the following library locations:
Bags will be distributed at the following bookmobile stops through Aug. 8:
Stark Metro Housing Authority — in cooperation with Plain Local Schools — will host the summer lunch and enhancement program through Aug. 14 for kids 18 and younger. Registration is not required. To-go meals are not permitted. For information, call 330-454-8051, ext. 309.
Free meals will be offered at:
Carrollton
Carrollton Exempted Village School District will provide summer meal packages from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays at the Carrollton High/Middle School to children 18 and younger. Each week, participants will receive five breakfasts and five lunches, beginning June 12 and continuing through Aug. 7. The meal pickup scheduled for June 19 will take place on June 18.
Fairless
The Massillon Public Library has teamed up with the Stark County Hunger Task Force to provide a free backpack of food for children containing two non-perishable breakfasts, lunches and snacks. Bags can be picked up once per week, per child at the following locations:
Massillon
Massillon City Schools’ food program begins June 16. Meals will be served from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Washington High School for children 18 and younger.
Prepared meals will also be distributed at several sites from June 16 through Aug. 1. Participants do not have to be Massillon students.
Distribution is from noon to 1 p.m.:
The Stark County Hunger Task Force has teamed with the Massillon Public Library for the distribution of free bags of food for children ages 3 to 18 at the main library, 208 Lincoln Way E, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The back includes two non-perishable breakfasts, two lunches and two snacks. One bag per child each week. Children need not be present.
Minerva
Minerva Local Schools will offer free breakfast at 8:30 am. and lunch at 11:30 a.m. July 14-31 at Minerva Elementary School, 130 Bonnieview Ave.
Perry Township
Perry Local Schools will offer free breakfast for children 18 and younger from 7:30 to 9:45 a.m. and lunch from 10:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday through Aug. 8, at the high school cafeteria, 3737 13th St. SW. Enter through main door No. 1. Meals must be eaten in the cafeteria. Parents can purchase a breakfast for $2 and lunch for $4. Children with developmental disabilities and approved individualized education plans can participate through age 21. Registration is not required.
Plain Township
Plain Local Schools will offer free meals at several locations:
The Stark County Hunger Task and Stark Library will distribute bags of food for children between ages 3 and 18 from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. Thursdays at Ellisdale Homes.
Sebring
Free meals will be distributed from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday at McKinley High School, 225 E. Indiana Ave., through Aug. 7. The meal will include breakfast and lunch. Meals are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are for kids 18 and younger. There will be no meal service from June 30 through July 4 or July 22. The July 22 meal will be included with the July 21 pickup.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Here’s where Stark County-area children can eat free breakfast, lunch this summer
Reporting by Amy L. Knapp, Massillon Independent / The Repository
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