ST. PARIS – Graham Local Schools received a $3,100 grant to increase breakfast participation in its schools.

The grant comes from a program through an award from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation to Children’s Hunger Alliance in Ohio. Children’s Hunger Alliance received a $1.5 million grant earlier this year to help Ohio childcare locations provide 2.2 million meals through the federally-reimbursed Child and Adult Care Food Program, according to a Walmart press release. Nearly $200,000 of the grant was to expand school breakfast participation in 36 school districts in Ohio.

“We’ve seen our elementary breakfast program double in the past year with the advent of the new $1 breakfast program,” Graham Superintendent Kirk Koennecke said. “Grant money will be used to hold promotional events, improve the menus, serve Second Chance breakfasts, and keep the new $1 program, all in our ongoing efforts to continue to increase support and participation.”

Koennecke said Graham District Operations and Services Supervisor Don Burley and Administrative Assistant Kristie Purtee worked with the Hunger Alliance to get the grant.

In 2015, 42.2 million people in America, which includes more than 13.1 million children, lived in households at risk of struggling with hunger, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation gave $33 million in nationwide hunger grants, $1,874,948 of which went to Ohio groups. Those groups include a second grant for Children’s Hunger Alliance through the Food Research and Action Center, eight YMCA affiliates through the YMCA of the USA, three park and recreation departments through the National Recreation and Park Association, seven Ohio schools through the Chef Ann Foundation, and three non-profits through the Share Our Strength program.