Lancaster Eagle Gazette – A recent Eagle-Gazette article highlights efforts to keep children in Ohio from going hungry this summer (“Good lunches on the way to Lancaster this summer,” June 1). The federally-funded lunches served in Ohio schools keep children who come from poor and low-income families from missing out on the nutritious meals they need to achieve in the classroom.

For many Ohio children — some of whom are raised by a grandparent or single mother who works two jobs — summer isn’t just time off from school; it’s a break from basic nutrition. A report released last summer found that 17 percent of children live in “food insecure” households that do not always have enough food to meet the needs of their family members.

Healthy and safe communities are integral to our economic competitiveness and national security. As Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Hunger, Nutrition, and Family Farms, I advocated for the Hunger-Free Schools Act, a centerpiece of the new law, to make sure our schoolchildren have a solid meal and a good start on living a healthy life.