With the end of the school year at the Canton City School District, non-profit organizations such as Stark County Hunger Task Force are stepping up to ensure families who count on food assistance for them and their kids can still get the support they need. The task force provides backpacks filled with food for children whose family鈥檚 income is below the poverty line. For the summer it's shifting distribution from schools to other community locations for the summer, according to Executive Director Stephanie Sweany.
鈥淭his is a program that we typically run during the school year,鈥� Sweany said. 鈥淲e distribute around 2000 bags a week to 17 schools.鈥�
With the arrival of summer, the non-profit had to look for other ways to distribute the backpacks, so it's partnered with the Stark and Massillon Libraries. The bags include two breakfast and lunch items, two or three snacks and a shelf stable milk or juice.
鈥淎ll the items that we put in them are very accessible, easy to cook, pop tops and tear tops,鈥� Sweany said. 鈥淭hings that they have to add water to and can put in the microwave, so they鈥檙e so much easier for them to make on their own.鈥�
Sweany said that the contents of the backpacks are meant to cover the gap over the weekends, since there are plenty of places providing hot meals throughout the week.
鈥淭he backpack program is countywide, but we do have a more specific focus during the summer months in Canton City,鈥� Sweany said. 鈥淭he poverty rate for children in Canton City is extremely high, it鈥檚 around 43 percent now.鈥�
Sweany said that even though the numbers are improving slowly every year, Stark County, and Canton in particular, still has one of the highest poverty rates in the country.
鈥淵ou know when kids are hungry, they can struggle with their concentration, it can affect their mental health and cause a lot of underlying conditions,鈥� Sweany said. 鈥淪o, we always want to keep that program going even though school is not in.鈥�
Families with children between the ages of three and seventeen can pick up backpacks at fourteen different locations.
鈥淲e are always looking for volunteers during the summer for our backpack program,鈥� Sweany said. 鈥淭hey can reach out to me if they鈥檙e interested in volunteering.鈥�
Sweany said that each backpack costs roughly three dollars to pack. The program is supported mainly through donations. Stark County Hunger Force helps feed two thousand children a week during the school year.