COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio schools will begin their coronavirus shutdown later today, and local and state agencies and organizations are mobilizing quickly to ensure children in need don't go hungry.

There are hundreds of thousands of K-12 students who rely on free or reduced-price meals at school, and the USDA approved the Ohio Department of Education's waiver to serve meals in non-congregate settings and at school sites during the closures. Joree Novotny, director of external affairs at the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, encouraged patience as districts develop meal-distribution plans.

"We all are working on this from the school level to the government level to the philanthropic and charitable level as well as local businesses who are chipping in," Novotny said. "We understand your concern and your fear. Trust that your schools are going to communicate with you as soon as they have the information they need to do so."

Child nutrition programs in Ohio serve more than 1 million meals daily at more than 3,000 sites. Gov. Mike DeWine announced the school closures through April 3, but noted the shutdown could extend much longer.

Novotny said schools only are allowed to provide meals to students, so hunger-relief groups are trying to keep pantry shelves stocked to ensure food is on the table for everyone in households experiencing food insecurity.

"Low-income families may have parents who are now losing wages because they need to stay at home with their children who are out of school, have been quarantined because of illness, have had their hours cut or even been laid off because of the economic issues associated with this public-health crisis," she said. "This is a larger food insecurity issue."

Hunger-relief organizations largely rely on older adult volunteers, who currently are most at risk in the pandemic. Novotny said they are asking younger Ohioans, who are in good health and not displaying symptoms of COVID-19, to step up and lend a hand.

"All of this effort is going to take a lot of hands because food doesn't move itself, it doesn't prepare itself, it doesn't package itself," she said. "That requires volunteers. That requires manpower."

Novotny noted that food banks and pantries are taking every possible precaution to ensure the safety of volunteers, including enhancing sanitizing practices to help minimize spread of the virus.

Tennessee has expanded food assistance for Northeast Tennessee residents still cleaning up after Hurricane Helene.

What's known as the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is in effect for current SNAP recipients in the eight counties affected.

Signe Anderson, senior director of nutrition advocacy for the Tennessee Justice Center, said benefits are provided through an electronic debit card and can be used to purchase food items at grocery stores and other authorized retailers who accept electronic benefit transfer.

"The state has been able to secure an automatic mass reimbursement of 65% to SNAP participants who are already part of the program," Anderson reported. "With the knowledge that so many people lost power, there was major devastation."

The Tennessee Department of Human Services has also temporarily allowed SNAP recipients in 13 counties to use their benefits to purchase hot foods due to the challenges of hurricane recovery.

Anderson thinks the 65% reimbursement is a good start but pointed out the USDA approved more waivers for households to get the full 100% reimbursement back by filling out an affidavit on its website. The waiver covers Carter, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties.

She added Cocke, Greene and Hamblen counties were not approved in the waiver.

"The state did say, even if you're not in one of these listed counties but you're in one of those bordering counties, you should apply through the affidavit and make your case," Anderson explained. "Unfortunately, those individuals in the surrounding counties aren't automatically reimbursed but if they reach out to DHS through the affidavit, they're likely to get help."

She added President Joe Biden's FEMA disaster declaration allows the state to do even more. The assistance includes grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.


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It is National School Lunch Week and groups in Oregon are taking the opportunity to encourage lawmakers to make school meals available to every kid in the state.

The School Meals for All coalition is calling for legislation to make breakfast and lunch free for all Oregon students. The coalition wants lawmakers to adopt the policy during the 2025 session.

David Wieland, policy advocate for the group Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, said the state is already close to the goal.

"About 1,191 schools in the state are already participating and we're only 65 schools away," Wieland reported. "We're so close to the finish line in realizing this vision."

Nine states have adopted universal school meals. Opponents have pointed to the high cost of providing meals to every student in the state but one in six Oregon children faces hunger, according to Feeding America data.

Loren Naldoza, public policy advocate for Oregon Food Bank, said free school meals have a number of benefits, including helping students academically.

"Our fight for a universal school meals program ensures that any student who doesn't have a lunch that day won't have to worry about being hungry because one will be ready for them," Naldoza emphasized. "We're going to see this pay off, in the short term and in the long term."

Wieland added the policy the School Meals for All coalition is pushing for would also improve food quality.

"Moving to free a breakfast and lunch program gets rid of the administrative overhead," Wieland noted. "Our proposal is going to slightly increase funding so that more money is going to fresh ingredients that are scratch cooked, and children enjoy and deserve."

A New Mexico food bank has expanded outreach to the state's Indigenous communities by hiring a Director of Tribal Relations.

Candice Griego will help Roadrunner Food Bank collaborate more closely with tribal communities to better identify food insecurity and find culturally responsive solutions that respect their needs.

New Mexico is one of the most rural states in the country, and Griego said tribal community members must often travel 50 miles or more to get groceries.

"A lot of these tribal communities are located in rural areas," said Griego, "where they're in food deserts, where there's not necessarily a lot of grocery stores. That's experienced a lot on the Navajo Reservation."

Griego, whose background is primarily in healthcare, is enrolled as a Zia Pueblo tribal member. She said the food bank already has started seven new food distributions on the Navajo Nation.

Griego said she hopes to gain a better understanding of which tribes need monthly or bimonthly food distributions from Roadrunner and provide them with culturally appropriate foods when possible.

She said that requires regular outreach to tribal leaders and communities.

"They feel comfortable in connecting with me and asking me for certain food products," said Griego. "So, just building that relationship and having that comfort level, and them knowing they can reach out to me."

Native Americans make up nearly 11% of the New Mexico population. In addition to the Navajo Reservation, the state is home to 23 Indian tribes, 19 Pueblos, and three Apache tribes.

The food bank anticipates hosting a tribal community focused event in early November during Native American Heritage Month.