With schools closing for the summer, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is alerting Ohioans to resources available through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), a federal nutrition program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) which currently operates at more than 1,200 sites across 79 Ohio counties, including Fayette County.

“For most Ohio children, the school year is ending and summer has begun,” Brown said during a conference call on Wednesday. “This year, more than 800,000 children qualified and utilized free or reduced-price school lunches this past year. That’s hundreds of thousands of Ohio students that might not have access to a nutritious meal at home – or when school cafeterias close for the summer. That’s where the Summer Food Service Program steps in.”

With more than 1,200 feeding sites and counting in Ohio, summer break doesn’t have to mean a break from good nutrition, Brown said. “But right now, too many Ohio families remain unaware about this critical program,” he added. “Public awareness is vital to ensure that the end of the school year doesn’t mean an end to hunger.”