Youth Summer Nutrition Program Launches
- jpratt50
- May 30
- 4 min read
Community Action Organization of Scioto County (CAO) has been building menus, deep cleaning their commercial kitchen, placing food orders, and scheduling locations for their summer nutrition program for youth, which is scheduled to launch in 2025 next week.
The program, which is in the Workforce Solutions and Community Development department, has been the focus of Deputy Manager Barb Gibson, Office Manager Rebecca Blair, and Program Director Luanne Valentine.
“This program is so important to the community, as we have so many food deserts and pockets of food scarcity in the county,” Valentine said. “The youth of Scioto County are among the most vulnerable and continuing this program is a tradition of helping people in one of our most essential and functional ways.”
The program is a major economic reward for the county, as a majority of the work is paid for utilizing workforce dollars, in which employs over a dozen teenagers for summer work opportunities, and provides free meals for hundreds of children across Scioto.
Last year’s program was operated by a dozen youth workers and four staff, providing 78,737 meals and over 30,000 pounds in produce for homes with youth. This year, while they don’t have produce included in their funded plans, they are expecting big results.
A key element behind planning the meals is appropriately balanced nutritional intake for the kids who will receive the food. Each meal is planned with proper nutrition in mind, and Gibson’s experience in this realm is valuable to the agency.
“Nutrition is important during adolescence because it helps with growth and development. Nutrition impacts a child’s physical growth as well as brain development. What we eat also impacts a child's emotional and cognitive development,” Gibson explained. “A child with proper nutrition is often able to maintain a healthy weight and perform well in school in addition to having a decreased risk of illness or chronic disease later in life. This is why the WIC and Head Start Programs as well as the Summer Feeding for children are crucial to meet the nutrition needs of our at-risk children.”
The program operates two types of services throughout the summer months: congregate and grab and go. In congregate meals, children are served a freshly prepared meal in a group setting. In the grab and go meal kit, children are sent home with 7 days of food to assist their parents and families.
Congregate schedules include:
-The 14th Street Community Center, between June 2 and August 15, between Monday and Friday. The 14th Street Community Center meals include breakfast, between 8:30 and 9 a.m. and lunch, between noon and 12:30 p.m.
-Vern Riffe School, between June 3 and July 3, between Tuesday and Thursday. The Vern Riffe meals include breakfast between 9 and 9:30 a.m. and lunch between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
-Sciotoville Community School, between June 9 and June 27, between Monday and Friday. The Sciotoville Community School meals include breakfast between 8 and 8:30 a.m. and lunch between 11 and 11:30 a.m.
-Temple Tots Daycare Center, between June 2 nd August 15, Monday through Friday. The Temple Tots Daycare Center meals include breakfast between 8 and 9 a.m. and lunch between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
-Bloom-Vernon School, between June 2 and June 27, Monday through Friday. The Bloom-Vernon School meals include breakfast between 8:30 and 9 a.m. and lunch between 11 and 11:30 a.m.
-Northwest Elementary School, between June 2 and June 26, Monday through Thursday. The Northwest Elementary School meals include breakfast between 8:30 and 9 a.m. and lunch between 11:30 a.m. and noon.
-The McKinley Pool between June 2 and August 15, Monday through Friday. The McKinley Pool meals include lunch only between 1 and 1:30 p.m.
-The Boys and Girls Club of New Boston, within the SCOESC), between June 9 and August 15, Monday through Friday. The Boys and Girls Club meals include breakfast between 8:30 and 9 a.m. and lunch between noon and 12:30 p.m.
Grab and Go locations will operate between June 2 and August 15, and include:
Mondays: 10 to 10:30 a.m., Rubyville Fire Station, 3019 Maple Benner Road, Rubyville, Ohio;11 to 11:30 a.m., CAO South Campus, 411 2nd Street, Portsmouth, Ohio; 2 to 3 p.m., CAO North Campus, 2220 Scioto Trail, Portsmouth, OH.
Tuesdays: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Lucasville Center Street Church, 173 Center Street, Lucasville, OH; 1 to2 p.m., McCullough Baptist Church, 12031 OH-348, Lucasville, OH; 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., Rush Twp Senior Center, 2165 Barker Street, McDermott, OH; 4 to 4:30 p.m., Rarden Community Center, 1693 Main St, Rarden, OH.
Wednesdays: 10 to 11 a.m., Kendall Heights Apartments, 1908 Wayne Avenue, Portsmouth, OH; 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., New Boston Local Schools, 1 Glenwood Tiger Trail, New Boston, OH; 1:30 to 2 p.m., Boston Commons Apartments, 300 Center St, New Boston, OH; 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., Sciotoville East High School, 224 Marshall Avenue, Sciotoville, OH.
Thursdays: 10 to11 a.m., Lett Terrace, 314 Noel Ave, West Portsmouth, OH; 11:30 a.m. to noon, The Complex, 1420 13th Street, West Portsmouth, OH; 1 to1:30 p.m., ETC Park, 15888 US-52, West Portsmouth, OH; 2 to 2:30 p.m., Friendship Fire Station, 12215 US-52, Stout, OH; 3 to 3:30 p.m., Buena Vista Fire Station, 674 US-52, Stout, OH.
Fridays: 10 to 11 a.m., Miller Manor Apartments, 1130 Kinker Drive, Wheelersburg, OH;11:30 a.m. to noon, Green Twp Community Building, 144 Gervais Road, Franklin Furnace, OH; 1 to 2 p.m., Highland Head Start, 1511 Hutchins Street, Portsmouth, OH.
There are some hybrid model sites at congregate locations offering 7-day meals, where they offer Grab and Go meals to fill the gaps in which they do not serve. Inquire at congregate sites about utilizing this service.
Community Action Organization of Scioto County is a 501©3 non-profit serving southern Ohio, primarily Scioto County, in a wide capacity. Through dozens of programs across four major departments, Workforce Solutions and Community Development, Early Childhood, Social Services, and Energy Solutions, the agency assists community members with nearly any barrier someone may have. If there isn’t an in-house program to support a need, then they are likely to have a partner they can refer. The agency is “helping people, changing lives” at 433 Third Street, Portsmouth. To learn more, call 740.354.7541. or visit www.caosciotocounty.org.
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