No Kid Should Be Hungry in Summer
Posted by Courtney Smith on Wednesday, May 19, 2010
In Washington DC, spring is in full swing and summer is around the corner. Flowers are blooming; sidewalk cafes are bustling; and flip flops are everywhere. Excited kids are counting the days until summer starts. But for the parents of children who get free or reduced-price meals during the school year, the approach of summer often means worry and uncertainty about how they will provide for their children.
During the school year, almost 19 million low-income children eat a free or reduced-price lunch at school, but only a small fraction—about 3 million—receive free summer meals.
Unfortunately, many communities throughout the country lack summer meal programs, and in those communities with programs, parents often don’t know about them. At Share Our Strength, we’re working with our partners across the country to change this and to ensure that more children have access to free summer nutrition programs this year by investing in aggressive marketing, awareness and access campaigns.
Thanks to the Colorado Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, the state is investing hundreds of thousands of dollars to ensure organizations have the resources to operate summer meal programs. A new toll free hotline will inform parents about summer meal programs, and every student will receive a postcard promoting the program.
In Maryland, The Partnership to End Childhood Hunger in Maryland is launching an aggressive marketing and outreach plan that includes public service announcements, billboards, bus ads, posters, and postcards to link kids to the closest meal site.
End Childhood Hunger Washington is sending information about summer meals to Medicaid and WIC recipients, advertising on milk ads, and providing grants to organizations to start or expand programs.
The Florida Partnership to End Childhood Hunger is reaching out to families who apply for Unemployment Insurance, airing public service announcements, and distributing promotional materials to families.
We know that the generosity of our volunteers and donors along with the hard work of our state partners will ensure that more children have access to nutritious food this summer. Throughout the summer, we will be reporting on summer meals programs around the country, sharing best practices and innovative approaches that work in a variety of communities. We want to reach more children this summer and every summer until we realize the goal of hunger-free summers for all kids in America.
Do you know where the nearest summer meals program is in your community? Does your school, community center or place of worship operate a summer meals program? You can help by volunteering at a program, offering to print and distribute flyers to promote summer meals programs, and encouraging local organizations to start a program.
May 19, 2010 | 0 comment(s) | Tags: No Kid Hungry, state partnerships, summer meals
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