Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the purchase of a food truck for use in the Department of Recreation and Parks Summer Food program. Food trucks for summer meal programs have demonstrated throughout the United States that bringing the meals to the children in areas of need have provided more awareness of those programs in those areas with the highest proportion of the target population. Instead of the kids coming to facilities where meals are provided, the food is brought to the kids. The truck will also serve as a promotional tool for the meal programs that we provide not only in the summer months but during the school year. The truck will be painted with bright colors and a phone number and web page for people to find food service locations closest to them. Providing a food truck makes it fun for the kids and reduces the stigma often associated with free meals. Areas such as New York, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Minneapolis Public Schools, New Haven, rural Tennessee, Indiana County, and Boston are just some of the areas that are using food trucks and buses to deliver meals to children in need. Alliance City Schools, Athens County, Hocking County, Perry County, Reynoldsburg City Schools are some examples of areas in Ohio that are using the food trucks and buses to also deliver meals. These areas have proven that with the use of the food truck and buses the number of children being fed has increased tremendously.
Only 1 out of 6 kids that gets free or reduced priced school meals receive summer meals. Millions of kids and teens are at-risk of going hungry during the summer months. 21 million children received free or reduced priced meals during the school year during 2013. Our goal with the food truck is to continue increasing the number of children that we feed by making more families aware of all the programs available to assist them with food insecurity.
Bids were advertised in the City Bulletin and were received by the Purchasing Office on Septemb...
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