Defiance College students to aid with NOCAC summer food program

May 29, 2015

DEFIANCE, Ohio - Defiance College Service Leadership Program is collaborating with Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission (NOCAC) for a children’s lunch program in Defiance County this summer.

With support by the USDA and local United Way agency, NOCAC is running its Summer Food Service Program June 8 – Aug. 13 in Defiance County. The goal of the program is to provide free meals to low-income children ages 1 to 18 (ages 1 to 5 must have a parent present), and over 18 with a disability. Of Defiance City School children, 53 percent qualify for the program. In 2014, NOCAC ran three sites that fed 614 unduplicated children with 3,617 total meals served.

This year, there will be five locations serving Monday through Friday (times listed below).  A fun, health-promoting activity will follow at each location. All meals follow guidelines set by the USDA. Defiance College Service Leaders will help host meals at the Diehl Park site (noon - 12:45 p.m.), which will be managed by Jordan Heiliger, coordinator of the Service Leadership Program, senior Cormack Lazarus, and junior Marissa Bramble. A bus route is being scheduled to help children get to the park and home each day. Please call 419-784-2150 ext. 1110 for registration.

Other sites are located at: Kingsbury Park (noon - 12:45 p.m.), Latty’s Grove (11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.), Defiance Elementary School Dawg Pound (closed enrolled site), and Hebron Ministries (11:30 a.m. - noon). Each site is run by volunteers in the community. Volunteers can assist with serving the meals, helping with the activity, reading to children, etc. Various talents to entertain different age groups are wanted. Volunteers are to report to their location various times between 11:30 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. Anyone who would like to volunteer should contact Jordan Heiliger at 419-783-2479 or Heidi Keween at 419-784-2150 ext. 1110.

Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.