The start of the school year can provide much-needed resources for Northeast Ohio families grappling with food insecurity.
CLEVELAND — While the start of the school year can bring a fresh dose of nerves and excitement for many families, for some, it can also bring a sigh of relief as kids gain access to additional food resources that are critical in fighting hunger. From snacks at after-school activities to school lunches, the new year can offer additional support for families facing food insecurity.
Food insecurity is an issue faced by families nationwide. In 2022, data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed that 12.8% of U.S. households, or 17 million households, were food insecure. Additionally, that data shows that 8.8% of households with children experienced food insecurity in 2022.
Unfortunately, those numbers are more startling when looking at Cleveland specifically.
“The tragic thing in the City of Cleveland, nearly half of our children are living in poverty, and one out of five are in deep poverty where their families are making less than $15,000 a year,” said Dr. David Margolius, Director of Public Health for the City of Cleveland.
According to Dr. Margolius, nearly 40% of Cleveland households with children under 18 years old receive SNAP benefits.
Kristin Warzocha, CEO of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, said one in four children in the food bank’s six-county service area across Northeast Ohio is food insecure. She continues to see the need for food support, as exemplified by the record-setting 117 sites the food bank provided meals to this summer.
“Last year, through our special programs – that’s the Backpack for Kids program, our after-school feeding programs, our school markets – we served about 35,000 children,” she said. “So far this year, just through June, we’ve served well over 40,000.”
With the return to the classroom, some students will receive free lunches and breakfasts, depending on their districts’ qualification requirements. Warzocha said she would like to see these offerings nationwide.
“Lack of access to regular nutrition has an incredible impact on a child’s growth, their development, their health, their ability to learn to be engaged in school, and frankly to be successful later in life,” Warzocha said.
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District is one that provides free breakfast and lunch for students, according to Dr. Margolius.
“Children in Cleveland who don’t know where their next meal is coming from are going to have a harder time concentrating in school,” he said. “They’re going to have a harder time enjoying the time that they spend with friends, and overall their health will be affected from that level of stress and uncertainty.”
Ultimately, a failure to feed a community’s youngest can have lasting impacts.
“We cannot be a healthy community until we help our families out of poverty, and we get to a point where no family, no child has to wonder where their next meal is coming from,” said Dr. Margolius.
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