YW Summer Food Program in 20th year

YWCA of VW County information

The YWCA of Van Wert County announces its 20th year of sponsorship of the free Summer Food Program for area youngsters.

Summer staff of the YWCA Youth Enrichment Program recently met to plan for the start of the summer and received new staff t-shirts provided by a donation from A & A Mechanical. Shown are some of the summer mentors and supervisors with Ty Holdgreve, owner-president of A & A Mechanical. (YWCA photo) — Summer staff of the YWCA Youth Enrichment Program recently met to plan for the start of the summer and received new staff t-shirts provided by a donation from A & A Mechanical. Shown are some of the summer mentors and supervisors with Ty Holdgreve, owner-president of A & A Mechanical. *(YWCA photo)*

During the school year, many children receive free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch through the School Breakfast and National School Lunch programs. However, during summer vacation children may not have the same access to nutritious meals.

The goal of the Youth Enrichment Program is to fill that nutritional gap and make sure children can get the nutritious meals they need all summer long. The program also aims to fill the participants’ time with positive activities, including field trips, volunteer opportunities, interactions with a variety of speakers and presentations, and to create mentoring relationships to encourage constructive decision-making. All activities are well supervised by qualified mentors, supervisors and lifeguards.

Free, nutritious meals and recreational programs will be made available to children 4-15 years of age under the YWCA’s Summer Food Program. Free meals are available to any child ages 4-18 years old. All 4-year-olds must be potty-trained to participate in the recreation program.

Meals will be provided without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service. Breakfast is served from 8-9 a.m. and lunch from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

The program begins Monday, June 15, and runs through August 14. Children may be dropped off no earlier than 8 a.m. and picked up no later than 1 p.m. Registration forms are available at the front desk of the YWCA.

The Ohio Department of Education, Child Nutrition Services and the United Way of Van Wert County are financial sponsors of this program.

General YWCA operating hours are Monday-Thursday, 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday, 6:30 a.m.-1 p.m. (closed Saturday and Sunday). The YWCA receives funding from the United Way of Van Wert County and the Van Wert County Foundation.

For more information, contact YWCA Program Director Danni Chiles at 419.238.6639.

POSTED: 06/13/15 at 6:30 am. FILED UNDER: News