[OPLINLIST] Summer Food access resources for families and libraries

[jdwyer at library.ohio.gov]

Cross-posted. Please excuse duplication.

Children's Hunger Alliance, in conjunction with other statewide organizations, has created a set of summer food access resources for Ohio children and families. They ask our help, as librarians and connectors, in sharing these resources widely, in hopes of connecting more food-insecure children and families with nutritious food this summer. Please share with your families:


  *   A general Summer Food Resources flier<https://childrenshungeralliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/CHA_SummerResources_OnePager_2025.pdf> to help families learn what programs are available for their children and how to take advantage of them.
  *   One of the newer summer programs is Summer EBT/SUN Bucks, which provides eligible households with $120 per child to supplement summer food costs. While some families will automatically receive the benefit based on their participation in other government assistance programs, other eligible families may need to apply. More information on Summer EBT/SUN Bucks can be found on the second page of the Summer Food Resources flier<https://childrenshungeralliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/CHA_SummerResources_OnePager_2025.pdf> or by visiting https://sebt.ohio.gov<https://sebt.ohio.gov/> and https://ohiosummerebt.org/.
  *   Libraries can order FREE hard copies of the fliers and one FREE 18x24" Summer Food Resources poster (which is the first page of the Summer Food Resources flier). Complete this form to request materials<https://childrenshungeralliance.formstack.com/forms/summer_food_resources_materials_request>. Availability is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
  *   Electronic versions and links to Summer Food Resource information, including a social media toolkit to promote summer food resources to families in your community, are available on the Children's Hunger Alliance website<https://childrenshungeralliance.org/summer/>.

In addition to sharing the summer food access resources, we can learn more and spread the word about the underlying conditions that make the nutrition programs so important for Ohio children and families. Map the Meal Gap<https://map.feedingamerica.org/>, released annually by Feeding America, is the only study that provides local-level estimates of food insecurity and food costs for every county and congressional district in the United States.

Food insecurity occurs when a household cannot consistently access enough food due to a lack of money and other essential resources. According to the Map the Meal Gap Study 2025, statewide, the child food insecurity rate is 20.1%<https://map.feedingamerica.org/district/2023/child/ohio>, which means that one of every 5 children ages 0-18 in Ohio is food insecure. Use the Mind the Meal Gap map<https://map.feedingamerica.org/> to look up your county's food insecurity statistics and learn more about food insecurity.

Explore additional food access resources and opportunities for libraries on the State Library website<https://library.ohio.gov/libraries/library-programs-and-development/summer-food-service>, the CSLP's Libraries and Summer Food guide<https://www.cslpreads.org/libraries-and-summer-food/>, and the No Kid Hungry Summer and Afterschool Meals in Libraries<https://bestpractices.nokidhungry.org/programs/summer-and-afterschool-meals-libraries> toolkit.

Sincerely,
Janet

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Janet Ingraham Dwyer
Youth Services Library Consultant
Library Programs & Development
State Library of Ohio
274 E. 1st Avenue
Columbus, OH 43201
614.644.6910
jdwyer at library.ohio.gov<mailto:jdwyer at library.ohio.gov>
library.ohio.gov<https://library.ohio.gov/>

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