Over 14% of the population in Washtenaw County are considered food insecure. During the school year, kids on the Federal Lunch program have, thankfully, a couple of meals built into their day. In the summer months, children can still rely on a considerable number of Summer Food Service Programs so that no one goes hungry. These programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and sponsored by Food Gatherers. Spread the word to ensure all of Washtenaw County's children are adequately fed this summer!

AADL and the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) are partnering this summer for a fun, new addition to this year’s summer game!

Every Friday in August, AADL cardholders can ride any of TheRide’s local fixed-route buses for free. The only item you need to take out of your wallet is your AADL Library card.
Show the driver your card and ride for free!

While you ride, look for the summer game code sign inside the bus and win 1,000 points to trade in for great Summer Game Shop prizes. It’s easy – there’s only one code to find, repeated on every single bus. When you see it, text the code to 4AADL (42235) or visit play.aadl.org to enter the code and get 1,000 points.

TheRide and AADL have created even more ways to get summer game points:
• Find the code featured on the outside of several buses for 500 points.
• Find the codes at bus stops nearest to any AADL location for 500 points.
• Codes are also hidden on TheRide’s website - TheRide.org.

Find all the codes to earn the Ride Master Badge and a 500 point bonus!

It’s a great way to end the summer – ride TheRide for free, and get points to trade in for excellent prizes at the Summer Game Shop. For more information about TheRide’s buses and schedules, visit TheRide.org

New to the AADL summer game? Last year, there were 5,476 active summer game players who were awarded 85,850 badges and selected 7,227 prizes. Will you be a player this year?

Visit play.aadl.org or text NEW PLAYER to 4AADL (42235) to get started.

The film Race tells the story of 4 time gold medal Olympic track star Jesse Owens. It chronicles his time at Ohio State and leading up to his appearance at the 1936 Olympics, where he became a legend.

Owens (1913-1980) remains one of the greatest athletes of all time, shattering records as though he were just batting an eyelash. He wowed the world at the Big Ten Track and Field Championships right here in Ann Arbor, Michigan by tying the world record in the 100-yard dash and then setting the world record in the long jump, the 220-yard dash and the 220 low hurdles. Some call it the greatest 45 minutes in sports.

In 1936, at the nearly boycotted Olympics in Nazi Germany, he went on to win gold medals in the 100 and 200 meters, the long jump and the 4x100 relay.

The film does a great job of focusing on his big races and captures the spirit of Owens’ greatness and the challenges he faced dealing with racism and segregation in 1930s America.

The Dawn Farms Education Series, "Teens Using Drugs: What To Know and What To Do" convenes in June and then takes a break for the summer. This is a free, two-part series that will be presented from 7:30-9:00 pm Tuesday, June 7th (part one, "What to Know"), and Tuesday, June 14th, (part two, "What to Do"). The programs will be held in the "Exhibition Room" on the first floor of St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Education Center at 5305 Elliott Drive, Ypsilanti. The sessions are presented by the Dawn Farm Youth & Family Services team. This program is targeted primarily to parents/caretakers of teens & young adults but is inclusive of other family members, teens, professionals, students, people who sponsor or support teens, and others interested. Please contact 734-485-8725 or info@dawnfarm.org or see the link to Dawn Farm for further information.

Do you know a young person who would be interested in having a camp experience this summer? If so, now is the time to complete a campership application on behalf of a child who has dreamed of the opportunity to go away to camp. The Washtenaw County Camp Placement Association believes that attending a summer resident camp is a unique life experience that provides children an opportunity for growth in social, emotional and physical well-being. Their mission is to connect at-risk youth to camps through community support. WCPA is the only camping program that accepts referrals from teachers and counselors in all Washtenaw county schools, as well as human service agencies throughout the county. Applicants must be entering Grades 5 through 12 in the fall following camp. WCPA takes referrals and applications throughout the summer-please keep this opportunity in mind for kids who could use it.

If you are parenting a child or children from 0-6 years old, you know that it can feel like an overwhelming challenge. For support & resources, income-eligible families may qualify to attend Thrive Parenting classes. This course begins May 24, 2016 and runs for 6 weeks. Mandatory registration takes place Tuesday, May 17 at 5:30 PM at Catholic Social Services. The objective of these sessions are to build a stronger, healthier relationship with your child, learn parenting strategies that really work and network with other parents. For more information call 734-926-0158. Catholic Social Services offers child care and food during these classes, too.

If you haven't heard, this May, AAATA will be expanding services with new routes and improvements-the biggest expansion since 1979!

Download this handy-dandy guide or pick them up at your nearest transit center to see what changes are in store. There will be public meetings about these changes on Tuesday, March 15 at 7pm at the Ypsilanti Township Board Meeting & Wednesday, March 23rd at 10am at the United Way, 2305 Platt Rd., Ann Arbor . More informational meetings will be posted on their site. Won't it will be nice to have a route to our Pittsfield Branch? Oh, the places we'll go!