The Stark County Hunger Task Force is working to make sure kids who rely on free or reduced-cost lunches during the school year don't fall through the cracks in the summer. The task force is handing out bags each Thursday that include two breakfast and two lunch meals, snacks and drinks.
Assistant Director Stephanie Sweany says nearly all kids at four Canton elementary schools receive free or reduced lunch.
“You know one in five children in Stark County is food insecure, they don’t know where their next meal is going to come from and we also know, just based off of the sheer volume of children that we serve during the school year through our backpack program that it’s definitely something that we are happy to coordinate in the community.”
During the school year, Sweany said the task force fed 710 children. Summer bags can be picked up every Thursday from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at three Stark library locations: the Main Branch, Madge Youtz Branch or Dehoff Memorial Branch in Canton.
