By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network
LANSING, MI –
A pilot project in Grand Rapids and the Saginaw Bay area aims to ensure kids in low-income households have healthy diets during school breaks. Five-thousand families from both areas will be selected to receive food assistance this coming summer through a federal grant awarded to the state.
Howard Leikert is with the Michigan Department of Education. He says the money can only be spent on healthy foods.
"Produce, whole grain foods, milk. They can't buy pop or potato chips with this money, it's a specific food package," he explains.
Leikert says it will be up to Congress to decide whether the pilot program will be expanded nationwide.