A special shout-out to our own Denise Ogilvie, Vice President of Outreach and Grants Management, who testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. She discussed the vital role that the summer meals program plays in the lives of children not only in Kansas, but across the country.

Denise shared that more than 14 percent of households in Kansas face food insecurity, meaning that many children across the state are vulnerable to hunger. Seeing this need, Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas began participating in the Summer Food Service Program in 2015 with eight meal sites that served more than 3,000 meals. Since then, the program has grown.

“By 2017 our effort had grown to 32 sites serving approximately 800 children with over 15,000 meals. At the same time Kansas moved from 49th to 45th in summer meals program participation,” added Denise.

Success stories like this are the reason the Summer Food Service Program is so important. The Committee on Education and the Workforce will continue to examine and address the program’s challenges so that the country’s most vulnerable children have access to the nutrition they need.