Much of the time the focus on feeding the community’s hungry centers on Thanksgiving and Christmastime.

Two of the region’s community action organizations, however, have partnered with local groups to bring food into the county all summer.

This week, two mobile farmers markets hit the eastern end of the county. The Scioto County CAO partnered with Chesapeake United Methodist Church and the Ironton-Lawrence County CAO partnered with the Concerned Citizens of the Burlington Area.

Thanks to the efforts of these groups hundreds of people in Lawrence County were able to get good, nutritious food to feed their families; food they might have gone without if it were not for the mobile farmers’ markets.

And this trend will continue through the end of July with Burlington hosting the program on July 8 and 22 and Chesapeake hosting on July 9 and 23.

Summer lunch programs are also still available through the beginning of August for children up to age 18 at Burlington Commons Park, Chesapeake UMC, Ironton high and middle schools and the Ironton Metro Housing Authority.

It is no secret that food pantries in the county are stretched to their limits with an ever-increasing number of residents who need their services.

Thankfully, government agencies are partnering with the community to ease the burden the county’s hungry are faced with on a daily basis.