At Meigs County’s Southern Elementary School, many students count on school meals — but the need for delicious, nutritious food doesn’t stop when the Friday afternoon bell rings. That’s why the Weekend Meals program organized by the Children’s Hunger Alliance (CHA) is so important. It supports families by providing meals for students even when school isn’t in session, so kids can return to class on Monday ready to learn.
The program brings together Meigs Local school staff and volunteers who help distribute food to families in the community. Each week at Southern Elementary, volunteers assist with registering families and handing out food bags for children. Through the program, students receive food bags during weekly distributions, helping ensure they have access to meals when school meals aren’t available.
To help fill these students’ plates, the AEP Ohio Foundation recently donated $25,000 to the Weekend Meals program through the Meigs County Schools Food Pantry Fund at Southern Elementary School.
The donation reflects the AEP Ohio Foundation’s commitment to supporting nonprofit and community programs that strengthen the communities we serve.
“Programs like the Weekend Meals initiative at Southern Elementary School help make a meaningful difference for students and families,” said Shawn Cable, AEP Ohio’s manager district system supervisor for the Athens district. Shawn also serves on the board for CHA and asked his team how AEP Ohio can help. “Working with Children’s Hunger Alliance is more than service—it’ s purpose. There are not many things more important than putting food in the hands of a hungry child, and knowing AEP supports this lets me know I work for a company that cares.”
Southern Elementary School is part of the Southern Local School District in Meigs County. Learn more about the district at SouthernLocalMeigs.org. For more information about AEP Ohio in your community, visit the Southeast Ohio community hub.
