Letter to the Editor,

The Family Advocacy Center in Ottawa County is committed to distributing food to children in need across the county during the summer break from school. During the pandemic, the USDA waived many of the requirements and restrictions on summer food service. Now, those rules are back in place with some changes.

One of the issues that we have had to deal with is that Ottawa County is considered urban by the USDA. As such, only rural pockets can be served in the “Grab and Go” style and unfortunately anything west of Oak Harbor is not considered rural.

We have an approved site at the St. John’s Church in Rocky Ridge to serve all those families in Genoa, Elmore, Woodmore School District (including Woodville), Rocky Ridge, Graytown and Williston. We know that this is not ideal, and we continue to advocate for changes for next summer with the appropriate state and federal agencies.

In the meantime, we encourage all families with children under the age of 18 to use the site that is closest and most convenient for them. Please feel free to contact our office with any questions or concerns.

Thank you and happy summer!
Executive Director Connie S. Roe, The Family Advocacy Center in Ottawa County