skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Medical copays reduce health care access in MS prisons; Israel planted explosives in pagers sold to Hezbollah according to official sources; Serving looks with books: Libraries fight 'fast fashion' by lending clothes; Menhaden decline threatens Virginia's ecosystem, fisheries.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

JD Vance calls for toning down political rhetoric, while calls for his resignation grow because of his own comments. The Secret Service again faces intense criticism, and a right to IVF is again voted down in the US Senate.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Summer Food Programs a Vital Ingredient for Many of Ohio's Youth

play audio
Play

Thursday, June 24, 2010   

COLUMBUS, Ohio - During the school year, close to 800,000 Ohio children receive free or reduced-priced lunches. To keep those children from going hungry during the summer months, schools, camps, churches and community centers in Ohio are opening their doors to provide nutritious meals while class is out of session.

Nora Nees, director of Child and Senior Nutrition for the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, says it is critical that kids have access to food so they don't lose any ground over the summer.

"We know what happens when a child is hungry. They come in with stomach aches, headaches, anemia, lower math achievement, lower reading. There are some real disparities out there."

Child nutrition programs are readily available during the school year, but close to two dozen counties in Ohio do not have a summer food program. That could change under the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which takes several steps to ensure that low-income children can participate in child nutrition programs. Versions of the bill are currently in both the House and Senate.

Despite widespread support for reauthorizing nutrition programs, debate looms over the funding level. Nees says additional funding for these programs is vital to the success of Ohio's children.

"That's an investment that's going to pay huge dividends in the health and well-being of our kids and in their ability to compete in this increasingly global economic climate."

The current Senate proposal is $4.5 billion; the House proposal is $7 billion to $8 billion. President Obama has asked for an additional $10 billion over 10 years.



get more stories like this via email

more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…


Ohio is among 13 jurisdictions requiring Saturday and Sunday hours for early voting. (PX Media/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

This week, National Voter Registration Day was another timely reminder for Ohioans preparing for the 2024 general election. The latest reports from …

Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Self-Care Awareness Month and the American Heart Association in Missouri is urging caregivers to take some much-needed time for themselve…

Menhaden are forage fish species and filter feeders, each capable of filtering up to seven gallons of water per minute. (Photo of female Osprey with Menhaden/TRCP)

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

Environment

play sound

By Claire Elise Thompson for Grist.Broadcast version by Kathryn Carley for New Hampshire News Connection reporting for the Grist-Public News Service C…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021