FINDLAY, Ohio — Multiple groups have been making sure that Findlay area children don't go hungry while out of school by extending their services through the summer.
Within a week of Ohio schools being closed, Findlay City Schools began handing out lunches and breakfast food to their students.
Once the initiative took off, they were averaging 100 meals a day.
The district has now been awarded USDA funding to expand their summer meal program to make sure they can continue feeding all of these students through June and July.
"You know, we saw the need to continue to feed our kids at two buildings, so we're continuing to do that at two buildings. Our Food service director Theresa Welty has done a great job of coordinating that," said FCS assistant superintendent Troy Roth
The Findlay Area YMCA, which was already serving meals to Hancock County children through the Feed Every Child program, expanded that initiative.
For the last few months, they have handed out food to last through the weekend to 600 children a week.
And now YMCA organizers are thrilled that the United Way of Hancock County awarded them an emergency grant to continue this expanded program through the summer as well.
All that is needed now is a steady stream of volunteers to distribute the food.
"We do have some staff that manage the program, but at the sites there will be volunteers. We will also be using volunteers to package the bags as well So, we will be using between 10 and 15 volunteers a week to keep this program going," said Jennifer Treece, development director at Findlay YMCA.
Findlay City Schools students will be able to pickup their meals on Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at both Glenwood Middle School and Lincoln Elementary.
The YMCA is handing out their meals on Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at.the downtown Findlay YMCA location.