CINCINNATI — IDEA Greater Cincinnati is serving free breakfast and lunch to enrolled summer school students at two campuses in Cincinnati through June 25.
The meals are available at IDEA Valley View and IDEA Price Hill, Monday through Friday. Breakfast is served from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., and lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Meals must be consumed in the cafeteria on campus.
The program is made possible through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program and is offered through the Seamless Summer Meals Option.
According to Feeding America, one in five children in the country faces hunger. Matt Robinson, Executive Director of IDEA Greater Cincinnati, said the program is part of the organization's commitment to the local community.
"We know nutrition is essential for all children in our community, not just during the school year, but throughout the summer as well," Robinson said. "With over 500,000 children in Ohio at risk of hunger, we're proud to continue helping fill that gap by providing nutritious meals that ease the financial strain on families during the break."
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Dr. Taylor Porter, director of operations at IDEA Price Hill, said the meals program has been a priority since the campus opened.
"We've been doing a healthy breakfast, healthy lunch program for a number of years. We're in our fourth year of operating, and every summer we make sure all of our scholars have access to a healthy, well-balanced breakfast, as well as lunch," Porter said.
Porter said the impact of the program goes beyond the students themselves.
"Our parents will stop me and say, Dr. Porter, thank you so much for making sure our kids get that well-balanced meal, because a lot of times they maybe don't have access to food in their houses, and so when you come to school, it's really hard to do the learning and academic piece without making sure we meet your most basic needs of feeding you," Porter said.
IDEA Price Hill serves students in kindergarten through 11th grade. IDEA Valley View, located in Woodlawn, serves students in kindergarten through 10th grade. Across both campuses, nearly 1,100 students are participating in summer school.
Porter emphasized that meals are available only to currently enrolled students and encouraged families to apply soon.
"We're getting really close to a wait list, so we're serving breakfast and lunch to all of our enrolled students," Porter said.
Families can enroll by calling 513-991-7445 or by visiting ideapublicschools.org.
Porter said the school's approach to nutrition includes all components of a healthy meal and has earned recognition over the years.
"Our students are able to choose what they want for that breakfast and lunch, but we do offer all of the healthy components, and that's led to awards for our school district over the years, and we continue to meet all of the state requirements for serving all components of a healthy breakfast and lunch school program," Porter said.
Porter added that the program reflects the school's broader mission.
"The most important thing is that for anyone listening, we are doing this school breakfast and school lunch program to really give back to our community and make sure every student in Cincinnati does not have to go hungry and they understand that we care about them," Porter said. "Before we can cram the academics into your head and make sure you prepare for college, you have to eat, and we're going to provide that resource for all of our students."
IDEA Greater Cincinnati is also hosting community and career fairs at both campuses. A hiring and career fair will be held at IDEA Valley View, located at 1011 Glendale Milford Road, on June 16 at 5 p.m. A similar event will be held at IDEA Price Hill, located at 2700 Glenway Avenue, on June 17 at 5 p.m.
