COLUMBUS, Ohio – Summer officially starts Friday, but summer meal sites in Ohio already are busy fueling hungry children.

Through the Summer Food Service Program, nearly 1,400 schools, churches, community centers and other host sites are providing free meals and snacks to children who live in low-income neighborhoods.

Heidi Keween is human services manager of the Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission, which runs sites in five counties. She says her agency is thankful to have the help of about a dozen AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates, who work directly in the field.

"They're seeing the need, not only in one location but in multiple locations,” Keween relates. “They can make sure that the program is doing what it set out to do and heading off any certain issues or maybe taking advantage of where we see a need."

VISTA summer associates serve for about eight weeks, and their duties include assisting in meal preparation and service, organizing activities, recruiting volunteers and mentoring youths.

Hunger impacts about one in five Ohio children, and the Summer Food Service Program distributed more than 4 million meals in 2018.

Through the governor's summer meals programs, many sites also distribute take-home weekend meals. And Keween says families are grateful for the assistance.

"It puts food in their home that maybe they haven't had the time to get,” she points out. “The kids – they're excited – the bag is going to them, they're taking ownership of that bag. So they don't have to wait for their family to go shopping. It's theirs already. "

Besides providing nutritious food for children, meal sites also offer enrichment programming.

Keween says her agency partners with local organizations on various camp-like activities to keep kids engaged.

"So we'll have one craft table available at all times for children who want to actually sit and do hands on, and are a little more quiet,” she explains. “And then we have a recreational activity for those who are ready to go and want to really get out there and socialize and rev it up. And we have some educational activities."

Summer meals are available to all children ages one to 18 attending the program, without registration or application.

Sites can be located by calling 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) or online at education.ohio.gov/KidsEat.


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Groups working to fight hunger in California are calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to protect funding for the CalFood program in his initial budget proposal, which comes out Jan. 10.

CalFood allows food banks to purchase things that are not often donated - such as eggs, milk, produce, meat and cheese - from California farmers.

Becky Silva, director of government relations for the California Association of Food Banks, said CalFood has enjoyed a temporary boost for the past three years - so, unless the line item is made permanent, funding levels would see a major drop next summer, at the end of the fiscal year.

"So, that means that it'll go from the current approximately $62 million per year down to about $8 million," she said, "and so obviously, food banks are incredibly worried about what that will mean."

She said the food banks are asking for a permanent allocation of $60 million a year in order to avoid big cuts in service. The association estimates that a 1% drop in hunger prevents $600 million in health-care costs, while supporting farmers and food producers in the Golden State.

The association represents 41 food banks that served about 6 million people per month in 2023, which is a 20% increase, year over year. Silva said hunger levels jumped during the COVID pandemic and have not come back down.

"Food insecurity rates are not decreasing, right? Even though a lot of people think of the pandemic as being over," she said, "the economic impacts are still being felt by people all over the state."

Once the governor releases his blueprint, the Legislature will start negotiations. Lawmakers have until June 15 to produce a final budget.


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New funding is making it easier than ever for Oregon farmers to become certified organic.

To achieve certification, farmers must go three years without using synthetic additives such as fertilizers or pesticides. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service in Oregon has launched the Organic Transition Initiative to provide financial and technical support.

Ben Bowell, director of education and advocacy for the group Oregon Tilth, noted the funding is especially valuable because the transition can be costly.

"During that time they have to be farming as organic farmers but they are not able to access an organic crop premium," Bowell pointed out.

Farmers can also get support through the initiative to develop organic systems for fertilization, building soil and controlling weeds.

Bowell explained the initiative is one of a three-part national USDA Organic Transition Initiative. This five-year program provides mentorship from experienced organic farmers, technical assistance and an organic market development program. He emphasized with the three programs, the combined $300 million investment in organic farming is historic.

"Right now is an amazing time to consider transitioning to organic in terms of all of the support that's available," Bowell stated.

Erica Thompson, farm operations manager for the U-pick blueberry farm Blueberry Meadows near Corvallis, which has been in her family since 1993, is a little over a year into the three-year process. She said figuring out a new fertility program and disease management has been a challenge, along with understanding the application and documentation process.

Thompson added working with the Organic Transition Initiative has been helpful.

"Being part of it has really solved or like is in the process of solving all my questions and uncertainties," Thompson observed.

Along with farmers, support is available for ranchers and forest landowners looking to go organic. Applications for the current round of funding are due Jan. 17.


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A Detroit nonprofit said it is helping people in the city reclaim control over the food they eat from where it is grown to where they buy it.

The Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network is leading the mission for what they call "food sovereignty," focusing on helping Detroiters access healthy, culturally meaningful food and taking control of its sustainable production while addressing food insecurity.

Shakara Tyler, board president of the network, said they operate a seven-acre farm in Detroit's River Rouge Park.

"We grow food so it's more accessible for community members, so they don't have to rely on liquor stores and gas stations to access basic necessities to feed themselves and their families," Tyler explained. "We also grow food to make a little bit of money."

About one-third of households in Detroit report experiencing food insecurity, with 80% of its residents relying on "fringe food" sources like fast food chains, liquor stores and corner stores where items like fresh produce are not available.

Detroit's urban farming scene has experienced significant growth, with more than 2,000 gardens and farms operating throughout the city. Tyler explained starting the farms is not just about offering healthy food, it is also about giving people a sense of ownership and empowerment, which she noted requires a thoughtful approach.

"You adapt that by starting where people are," Tyler emphasized. "Asking questions about their values and their experiences and then building from there, and not assuming that what works in one area will work in another area because this work is very place-based."

Michigan is not the only state where this mission has caught on. As of this year, there are close to 30,000 community garden plots in city parks across the United States, marking a 22% increase from 2021.

This story is based on original reporting by Dalya Massachi for Everyday Climate Champions.


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