[00:00:16] Speaker A: Hello everyone, and welcome to Just a Bite, a podcast from the Ohio association of Food Banks. We represent Ohio's 12 Feeding America food banks and over 3,600 hunger relief agencies serving all 88 Ohio counties.
Beyond providing food, we work to connect people with the resources they need to thrive.
To learn more, Visit us at ohiofoodbanks.org.
I'm Eliza Richardson, Programs and Contracts Manager with the Ohio association of Food Banks, and I will be your host today.
As summertime approaches, many families look forward to school breaks and spending more time together outdoors.
However, for many Ohio families, summertime means not receiving their free or reduced price school breakfast and lunches and higher grocery costs to cover the gap in meals.
Nationally, more than 25 million students and approximately 90,000 schools and agencies participate in the National School Lunch Program, also known as nslp, making it one of the country's largest food service operations.
In Ohio, the National School Lunch Program serves more than 1 million meals a day across more than 3,000 sites. Without these resources, many families struggle to put additional food on the table during the summer months.
Additionally, this summer looks a little different than in years past for many Ohio families as federal budget cuts begin to impact other nutritional benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as snap, leading to higher rates of food insecurity among children and families.
In this episode, we are diving into the resources that are available to families during the summer months.
We sat down with Shannon Amos, Vice President of Programs for the Children's Hunger alliance to talk about resources such as congregate and non congregate summer feeding sites, summer EBT and other summer meal programs that can help families fill the gap in their food budget throughout the summer. Let's get started.
Hello everyone and welcome to Just a Bite. Today we are sitting down with Shannon Amos, Vice President of Programs for Children's Hunger alliance to talk more about summer hunger and what resources families can access during the summer months when they do not have access to free or reduced price meals at school.
Shannon, would you like to take a moment to introduce yourself to our listeners?
[00:02:54] Speaker B: Sure. Thank you for having me today.
As Liza said, I'm Shannon Amos, Vice President of Programs at cha. I oversee all of our program and service work statewide. We are a statewide organization and serve the majority of the state of Ohio and I've been with Children's Hunger Alliance 21 years in a variety of positions and happy to be here to talk about summer today.
[00:03:16] Speaker A: Awesome. Thank you so much for the introduction. We're so happy to have you today.
So as we're Recording this episode. Summer in Ohio is just around the corner with schools having just a few weeks left in their school years. We know that the National School Lunch Program serves over a million meals per day to school aged children in Ohio. Can you talk to us a little bit more about the biggest challenges families face when school meals are unavailable during the summer?
[00:03:41] Speaker B: Sure. Well, you kind of just alluded to it. You know, in school kids have access to school lunch and school breakfast on a pretty regular basis.
If they're attending school, they are eating where they're showing up every day. And in summer it's a little more challenging because you've got to kind of seek out where those food locations are so that regular food access is gone and families reliance on having their kids eat a couple of meals per day is gone. So we really see food insecurity rise during the summer months.
[00:04:11] Speaker A: Can you walk us through what resources are available to families to fill the gap in meals that they might be experiencing without their free or reduced price school meals during the summer months?
[00:04:20] Speaker B: Yeah, sure. There's a couple different resources available for summer hunger. The Summer Food Service program is a signature program. It's been around since the late 60s, kind of well established since the mid-70s nationwide. And it targets kids ages 1 to 18. So we're not only reaching those school age kids, but we're also reaching maybe younger siblings or younger kids in the community that also may need access to meals during the summer, which is a real benefit of this program.
The meal types that are served usually are. Lunch is very common. Almost all programs serve lunch, but they can also serve breakfast, they can also serve snacks. So it really can provide a multiple number of meals for kids during the day. The great thing about summer food is that there's no individual eligibility when it comes to summer meals. So families don't have to register, they don't have to provide an income statement.
It's all based on the site eligibility and where those meals are being served. So that's the eligibility piece. The service locations where those meals. Meals are being served can be in a variety of places, which is nice because it can kind of meet kids where they are a little bit in the community. So of course those can be at schools, but they can also be at places like libraries or recreation centers. They can be at churches.
We'll talk a little bit about some grab and go style meals later. But in those places even more flexibility can be literally out of a parking lot somebody allows somebody to use for mobile meal distribution. So it's really a wonderful program that can meet community needs.
[00:05:46] Speaker A: As you just alluded to, there's a bunch of different styles of summer meal service programs pick up style if they're sitting down for meals. So can you kind of walk us through the difference between those, where those might be located and which ones are the most effective for reaching kids?
[00:06:04] Speaker B: Yes, absolutely. So the USDA meal programs, the child nutrition programs, whether they're school meals or summer meals, are kind of designed to be congregate meals programs. And what I mean by that is for kids who are maybe sitting around a lunch table, sitting around a picnic table, all eating food together during a designated meal time. So those are widely available site locations. Those have been in existence since the beginning of the program.
Those can include summer schools, they can include enrichment programs that last all day. But we know that those are also programs that maybe aren't fully funded or just don't exist in all areas because there's not a place for kids to gather in all the areas.
And so there's also an alternate model called the non congregate program, which is kind of that grab and go model. So some of the listeners may remember from COVID when we did not want kids sitting around a table eating together.
And so the grab and go style was a popular model during that time, so families could come and pick up multiple days worth of meals, multiple meal types at a time, and take it back with them for their families without having to sit a need together. So this reduced transportation costs, reduced time, of course, for coming back and forth to different meal locations, especially for travel time. In 2022, Congress permanently authorized the rural non congregate program. And so it is just available to rural areas as designated by usda. But it has been a wonderful program, and that's been very effective in reaching those rural areas. So you talked about kind of what models are most effective.
They're all effective in the way that they reach kids with summer meals, of course. But as far as seeing an increase in program participation rates lately, those non congregate programs have really made a big difference.
[00:07:54] Speaker A: That's. Yeah, it's great to have that additional resource. And obviously, Covid opened our eyes to so many different things, and one being how can we adapt services to people with limited transportation and limited options? So really thankful to have both congregate non congregate options available to families throughout the summer. So you kind of just alluded to this, that participation rates have been increasing through non congregate.
[00:08:16] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:08:17] Speaker A: Can you talk a little bit about how maybe congregate participation has changed throughout the years as well.
[00:08:22] Speaker B: Yeah, so we always kind of use the same statistic when we were talking about summer meals and summer participations, especially before COVID because there really were not many changes.
You know, despite a lot of best efforts and a lot of really great programs that existed, it was just really challenging to meet the need and to meet every community and their specific needs with getting kids to meal sites or getting meals out into the community. So we were sitting about, you know, less than 10% of those kids who qualified and participated in free school meals, free and reduced price lunch program were actually accessing a summer meal. So you had a huge gap in participation in those who actually could use the meals and just were not getting those during the summer. Now that we've seen, if you kind of put those congregate, non congregate programs side by side, you see the congregate continues to kind of stay flat, maybe even declined in some areas, whereas the non congregate is steadily increasing. So we're at, I think, about 14% within the last couple of years. We're up to about 14% participation. It doesn't seem like much, but given where we were before and trying to make strides to get there, I think we're better than that now. I think that, you know, if you looked at the 2025 data and the projections for going into this year, we're gonna see an even greater increase, which is really just fantastic given the lack of kind of progress in that for a long time. So really just opened up a lot of options for meal service.
[00:09:46] Speaker A: Definitely. You just mentioned that around 14% of children who are receiving free school meals are accessing summer programs. What is, do you think the main cause of that gap?
Is it lack of knowledge about these programs? Is it lack of access? What do you think is kind of driving that?
[00:10:03] Speaker B: Yeah, I think it's. I think it's a combination. You know, there are a lot of new non congregate programs that have been established in the last several years. Really, 2023 was the first year that that was even a permanent option. And so there's been a lot of growth over the last couple of years with new site locations, new, you know, accessibility for families who may have been familiar with the summer program for a long time. They may have still been thinking, I have to go, you know, at lunchtime, and then I have to go back the next day at lunchtime. So just getting families familiar and the awareness pieces of that with, you know, what the non congregate program really is, and that there are different styles, you know, to that program and different types of meals served. So it's really, you know, community by community. I think the other part, too, is that we're still filling gaps. Right. There are still gaps across the state where there could be additional meal service.
You know, if there is, you know, one location serving a school district, maybe there needs to be a couple more that adequately meet the needs of the entire district. So it's a combination of factors, but I think as this program continues to gain traction and awareness, I think we'll continue to see that growth.
[00:11:09] Speaker A: That's great. Yeah. And I would love to hear if you have any stories from families that are accessing these programs that have kind of stayed with you the most and, like, really resonated about the importance of the programs.
[00:11:20] Speaker B: Yeah.
You know, I think what strikes me the most is that, you know, you continue to see the same families coming back and just how appreciative they are of their ability to, you know, have access to meals on a regular basis, that it's a supplement to sometimes what they're getting. You know, if they're using other services, if maybe they're using SNAP or they're using a food pantry, that this is just another way to kind of round out their summer meals. And I guess you never know the full story. So when you start seeing these families week over week, you start hearing a little bit more about their circumstances.
You know, sometimes it's just a point in time that's a really hard time for a family, and they're so grateful to have the assistance.
Sometimes it's a more chronic issue that they just need the extra support. So I think just getting to know those families is always striking to me because we know that we can be there, and it's a sustainable program that we can continue to say, come see us next year if you need the assistance.
[00:12:15] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. And so, as you mentioned earlier, there's different sites that can opt in to being a summer meal provider. So what partnerships are the most important in helping these summer feeding programs succeed? And how can community members explore establishing a new summer feeding site in their community where they do see the need, Where a site may not already be established.
[00:12:37] Speaker B: Right. Well, you know, I think the beauty of this program is that, you know, it is a sense of community. Whereas during, you know, the school year, of course, it's the school meals. Right. The schools are the one taking the onus for the lunch and breakfast program. And while that's true, also in the summer, that schools can play a big part of that it can also be a lot of other community partners stepping up to the plate. As you said, a lot of great partnerships that can come out of this. So, you know, the library that's down the street, the recreation center, we've seen fire stations that have stepped up to, you know, offer their parking lot, to offer meals to families in that grab and go style, even at hospital locations or medical centers, you know, places where families are coming. So if you're looking for, you know, if you're not seeing a summer food service program in your community, I would say start with your school, start with, you know, some of your larger community partners where there's a lot of, you know, people interacting like those libraries or churches, and just, you know, see what the interest is, make sure that you're not missing anything first. Right. That there's not already a program there or something happening.
But, you know, when we've approached, you know, filling gaps in the communities and trying to establish summer feeding, we oftentimes get very positive response. Right. Sometimes people just don't know quite where to start. And I think that kind of gets at your question is where do you even start with some of this? So, you know, start talking to your community community leaders, start talking to people who maybe neighboring communities who are doing it and how they got started.
It does kind of take a village. And you know, even if the library hosts and not the rec center or something like that, that awareness, the direction of families, you know, to get to those meal and make sure that they know about them, I think is really important. So that's really where those partnerships, I think, come in and are really beneficial.
[00:14:21] Speaker A: That's great. And for people who are looking to learn more about the summer feeding resources that are in their community, can you. For our listeners, where people can find out what the summer feeding sites are in their counties or their communities or where they can find that?
[00:14:34] Speaker B: Yes.
So the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is the stated administrator of the program, of the federal program, and they have a summer feeding map on their website.
It's a plot point that will say an address. It will say the hours of operation and days of operation, maybe the types of meals that are being served and when. So that's a great place.
It's an actively live and regularly updated map. So it does change throughout the summer as new programs come on, or maybe those that end.
Because different school districts have different start and end dates for the school year, those summer feeding programs might have different start and end dates throughout the summer, too. So I would just encourage listeners to keep checking. And if they don't see one in their community to call, they might be able to be directed to the right to my program.
[00:15:25] Speaker A: That's super helpful. And for our listeners, the link to that summer feeding map, you can find that in our show notes. So in addition to summer meal programs for our listeners, there's a new program called Summer ebt, or Electronic Benefit Transfer, also known as Sunbucks, that eligible Ohio families can access to help fill this summer meal gap. In addition to summer meal resources and summer feeding sites.
So summer EBT provides a one time extra grocery benefit of $120 to eligible children over summer months when kids are not getting the meals that they usually eat at school. This is a new program that began operating in the state of Ohio and other states around the country in 2024.
So far in summer 2026, 38 out of 50 states have opted into participating in this program and Ohio is one of them. Shannon, can you walk me through how this new program, Summer ebt, sits alongside these longer standing summer feeding programs and how these programs can work together to alleviate hunger for families with children in the summer months?
[00:16:30] Speaker B: Absolutely. I'm really glad that you brought this up because summer EBT is now such a critical part of, you know, kind of looking at holistically at meeting the needs for families during the summer as far as a response to food access. So whereas the summer meal program is really designed for kids 18 and under and, you know, is available for kind of all kids that are minors to go and receive a meal, it's really not intended for family benefit. Right. So the summer EBT dollars, on the other hand, can help provide that additional benefit for families who are buying meals to supplement the meals not eaten at summer feeding locations. Right. So having a little extra money in the pocket for groceries is very important now, especially with prices rising. And so that benefit per child that can be used really helps kind of balance with, with those summer meals.
[00:17:20] Speaker A: That's great.
So what barriers to enrollment or accessing these benefits do families often experience? I can imagine there's some barriers around just getting enrolled and maybe a lot of families are on other public benefits programs. How does that kind of play into getting enrolled in access to the benefits?
[00:17:37] Speaker B: Yep. So again, this program was permanently authorized in 2023. And so it is a fairly new program if you look at it kind of, you know, in relation to the, the summer meal program. So there's a lot of awareness opportunities, a lot of opportunities to make people aware of just that there is an Extra benefit. If they are already participating in snap, they may see those extra dollars come on their card and have some questions about that. If they're not participating in snap, but they're eligible and automatically enrolled, they, you know, they may be getting that on a separate card. So there's multiple ways that families can access these dollars. There is a little bit of confusion, I think around, you know, do I need to apply separately? Am I automatically eligible for the benefits? And that can be a confusing process. I know there are a lot of resources and you'll probably allude to these eliza later on that organizations have available to kind of walk families through the process, you know, answer some questions to see if they're eligible.
Some of it just depends on what district you're in, if you're income eligible. But it can be a confusing process to navigate. So thankfully there's resources to address that.
[00:18:39] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. And you kind of just alluded to this. There's a bunch of outreach resources online.
You can find the link in the show notes for our listeners. These are really intended for community partners to educate families about summer EBT and make sure that people know that this benefit is there to support them in the summer months. So if you're a community partner or just a consumer concerned neighbor or someone who you think you might be eligible for summer ebt, find the link in our show notes for some of these outreach materials, frequently asked questions, and just more information about summer EBT to help increase that outreach for families who might be eligible this summer. So, Shannon, how might this summer look different for both summer meal programs and summer EBT participation as a result of many households losing access to to other nutritional benefits such as cuts to programs like SNAP that came from the federal level?
[00:19:32] Speaker B: Yeah, I think we're going to see an increased demand as families try to stretch those food dollars further without the school meals available. Especially so, you know, looking at additional opportunities to take advantage of maybe more, you know, more frequency of visiting summer meal sites or, you know, finding a grab and go location that makes it accessible for their family, maybe because they only need to pick up food once a week versus going every in the transportation barriers, of course, because transportation costs are high too, that's going to be a factor in getting to these sites frequently. And so, you know, and then that of course, coupled with the high food prices also, I think families are going to be looking to, you know, to take advantage of both programs as much as possible. So really trying to spread that awareness, make sure that they know everything available to them. You know, if they're maybe only have engaged with one or the other program, just making sure that they have full access to both.
[00:20:27] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. And really driving home that point that if you have participated in summer meals, that doesn't mean you can't participate in summer ebt. You can participate in both if you're eligible and it's not exclusive to one or the other. So really making sure that those who are enrolled in summer EBT that they have access to summer meals and those who are already attending summer meals are aware of summer EBT as an added benefit to them. So definitely really appreciate that flexibility.
Can you talk about if there's any gaps that still exist even with both summer meals and summer EBT being available to families in the community?
What other barriers or gaps might families still be experiencing even with two great resources available to them?
[00:21:07] Speaker B: You know, as we discussed earlier, there's still a significant gap in access to summer meals for those kids who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches and are taking advantage of those during the year. You know, still a long ways to go with really making sure that there's full food access during the summer for summer meals and then with summer EBT again, because that program is just so new, continuing that awareness and there's, you know, in the automatic eligibility and whether they're or they need to apply separately, I think just helping provide as many resources as possible for families to get answers is really going to help continue to address the gaps that exist right now.
[00:21:45] Speaker A: Yeah, that's great. As we mentioned earlier, there are a lot of outreach, resources and more information that you can
[email protected] in order to educate families about what resources might be available to them and really spread the word about both summer meal programs and summer EBT that are available to families throughout the summer. So if you're a community organization or just someone who wants to help spread the word, I really encourage you to go and look at these resources and help families get access to to the benefits that they need this summer. All right, thank you so much for being here with us today, Shannon, to talk about these essential resources that are available to families throughout the summer months. We really appreciate you being here today with us.
[00:22:26] Speaker B: Thank you so much. I appreciate being here.
[00:22:36] Speaker A: That brings us to the end of this episode of Just a Bite brought to you by the Ohio association of Food Banks.
I want to thank our guest Shannon for being here to educate us on summer meal resources for families who are experiencing a lapse in meals during the summertime to find a summer meal site nearest you, visit the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Summer Meals Map.
For more information on summer meals resources, visit childrenshungeralliance.org Summer if your household receives the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as State SNAP Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, also known as TANF or Ohio Works first or Medicaid, your child may be automatically enrolled in Summer ebt. To find out if you are eligible for Summer EBT, and for more information about if you will be automatically enrolled or if you need to apply, visit sebt.ohio.govapply to learn more about us at the Ohio association of food banks, visit ohiofoodbanks.org if you are listening to this podcast on any streaming platform, all resources can be found in our show. Notes thank you for tuning in to this episode of Just a Bite. We will see you next time.
