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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 30, 2010)
June 30. 2010 Il!r^Jortlanh OOhscruer Page 7 Kids’ Summer Meal Sites Open Program supports good nutrition D rew R afaella D akessian T he P ortland O bserver For many students who attend Portland Public Schools, going to school isn’t just a place to learn, but also to eat. With school out for the summer, students across the country who rely on the school system for sup port will have to look elsewhere. But luckily, here in Portland, parents have some options. Forty nine percent o f students in the district qualify for free- and reduced lunches, says Portland Public Schools spokesm an Matt Shelby. For these kids, school m eals are their prim ary source o f nutrition. During sum m er break, these students are in danger o f going hungry when they should be going ohtside to play. Starting this week, however, they’ll be able to do both. Hunger pangs are gripping large swaths o f the country. President Barack Obama has made it his goal to end childhood hunger by 2015, and it looks like he has his work cut out for him. A report by the Food Research and Action Center found that one in four respondents in households reported having trouble feeding themselves. by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver Kids from the Gateway neighborhood o f northeast Portland enjoy healthy snacks and sandwiches at the Gateway Park Apartments thanks to Project Summer, a child nutrition program. photo by In Portland, there is help for these A collaborative effort between to serve nutritious meals to low- families. This summer will mark the the school system, Portland Parks income children when school isn’t seventh year that kids can partici and Recreation and various non in session. pate in supervised activities and eat profit organizations, Project Sum By and large, Project Summer a good meal at community locations mer is part o f a the Sum m er Food seems to be thriving: Last year, al throughout the city in what is known Service Program for Children, a 1916 most a thousand kids participated as Project Summer federal initiative that provides funds in the Summer Food Program on an average day, says Annie Kirschner, Child Nutrition Outreach Coordina tor for the non-profit Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. However, this accounts for only 29 percent o f students who relied on a subsidized school lunch during the year. So actors in Project Sum mer are now making outreach a pri ority. “We send out information to every student’s household at the beginning o f the summer,” says Shelby. “A flyer is being sent out this week that lists summer oppor tunities.” Informing families o f the oppor tunity is only half the battle. Getting around is another problem. “During the summer it’s a bit.. .of a challenge because people have to get to the parks, and that can be challenging for folks that don’t have transportation,” says Shelby. Kirschner says that there is help for cash-strapped families, so that getting around isn ’ t a barrier to their kids getting a good meal. Financed transportation is available so that children who want meals can get them regardless o f limited means, she said. ’’Especially in rural areas, [fami lies] look to the private sector to provide transportation to the kids,” adds Kirschner. Since federal reim bursement only accounts for $3.25 per lunch served, “Churches and other private groups have really stepped up.” Charles Ford Service Friday Longtime community activist and African-American elder Charles Ford died June 24 at age 80. Ford was active in the federal Model Cities program o f the early 1960s and 1970s, was a longtime board member o f the Boise Neighborhood Association, and represented that group on the board o f the Northeast Coalition o f Neighborhoods for more than 20 years, starting with its inception in 1975. He received a Spirit o f Portland award in 1988. Bom in Hickory, Miss., he graduated from Rust Col lege in that state. He moved to Portland in 1951. A public service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, July 2, at Maranatha Church o f God, 4222 N.E. 12th Ave. L egal N otices photo by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver Good in the Neighborhood Youth and their adult m entors from the Leisure Hour Junior G olf Club participate in Saturday's Good in the Neighborhood Parade, part o f la st weekend's annual m ulticultu ral m usic and food festival held at King School Park. Need to publish a court document or notice? Need an affidavit of publication quickly and efficiently? Please fax or e-mail your notice for a free price quote! Fax: 503-288-0015 e-mail: classlfleds@portlanclobseiver.com The Portland Observer