FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 9, 2012

Full-time position(s) available at Highland County Community Action Organization, Inc.

COLUMBUS – The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks will place 165 AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates at community organizations across the state this summer to help fight childhood hunger by boosting participation in programs that provide free meals to children in low-income areas.

The Summer Associate positions are funded through a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that oversees AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America). Highland County Community Action Organization, Inc. has been awarded 2 slots for full-time members, and is seeking individuals passionate about ending childhood hunger for these positions.

Each Summer Associate serves at a local organization like HCCAO Summer Feeding that provides free meals to kids through the Summer Food Service Program or other feeding programs. The Summer Associate’s will work to increase participation and serve more meals, while planning various activities for the children to complete

Children who aren’t hungry learn better, behave better, and feel better, yet many children in Ohio are not getting the nutrition they need to learn, play, and grow throughout the summer months when they are out of school. A record high number of Ohio children—nearly 841,000 or about 45%– are now eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches based on their family’s income, but less than one in five of those children received meals through the Summer Food Service Program last year.

Summer Associates must be 18 years or older and able to commit to eight weeks of full-time service from June 4 through July 29. Summer Associates are paid a modest living stipend and receive an end-of-service award (either a cash bonus or money for school) upon completing the eight-week term. The program is an opportunity for individuals of all backgrounds to gain valuable work experience and make a difference in their community. Interested individuals should fill out an application online. More information on the applications process is available at www.oashf.org.

About the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks
OASHF is Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger, representing Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks and 3,300 member charities including food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters. In SFY 2011, OASHF and its member foodbanks were able to acquire and distribute over 150 million pounds of food and grocery items. Follow @OASHF on Twitter, stay connected on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OASHF, and visit OASHF on the web at www.oashf.org.

About Highland County Community Action Organization, Inc.
HCCAO, Inc. is a private non profit corporation providing services to the resident of Highland County since 1965. These include a wide array of services including health care, housing, early childhood education, senior nutrition and emergency services.

About the Summer Food Service Program
The Summer Food Service Program is a program of the United States Department of Agriculture and is administered in Ohio by the Ohio Department of Education. The program is designed to fill the nutritional gap that children who receive free- and reduced-priced meals during the school year may face during the summer months, ensuring children get the nutritious meals they need. To locate a Summer Food Service Program site within your community call 1-800-648-1176 or visit www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/summer/

About the AmeriCorps VISTA Program
AmeriCorps VISTA is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service. The program is designed to fight poverty in America through full-time national service. OASHF has partnered with the Corporation for National and Community Service since its first AmeriCorps VISTA project in 2006. Since then, more than 500 AmeriCorps members have served hunger- and poverty-relief initiatives through OASHF. To learn more about the AmeriCorps VISTA program and other national service programs, visit www.nationalservice.gov

# # #

Contact: Dustin Speakman, Director of Community Services for the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks at 614-221-4336 ext. 243 or 614-493-7502 (cell)

OR

Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, Executive Director for the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks at 614-221-4336 ext. 222 or 614-271-4803 (cell)