Walking Eight Miles for a Summer Meal
Posted by Ruth Stemler on Friday, June 25, 2010
This summer, the Campaign to End Childhood Hunger in Colorado (a joint partnership of Hunger Free Colorado, Share Our Strength and the Office of Governor Bill Ritter) plans to serve an additional 10,000 summer meals to hungry kids, which would nearly double summer food participation in Colorado.
To achieve this goal, the Campaign partners focused on increasing the number of summer food sites and building awareness of summer meals among low-income children and families through intensified outreach.
First, Hunger Free Colorado identified underserved communities and linked community groups, such as nonprofit youth programs and faith-based groups, to existing sponsors like school districts and food banks. Then to get the word out, Hunger Free Colorado created outreach materials for community and county public health partners to disseminate in communities throughout the state.
Highlights of accomplishments to date include:
To date, 63 sponsor applications for summer meals programs have been received, an increase from 55 in 2009.
We expect between 269 to 300 sites this year, and increase from 203 in 2009.A toll-free number and website, 1-877-93-HUNGER and www.summerfoodcolorado.org are up and running to direct families to specific sites.
Postcards sent home with 63,000 elementary school children at the end of the school year, directing families to the hotline and website.
What do these number mean to people in our communities? Wiggins, Colorado, in rural Weld county, never had a summer meals program until this year. On the first day of the program, which is run in conjunction with a summer camp, the site manager expected 30 children; she fed 60. Two children and their mother walked eight miles to get to there.
This is just one example of how important summer meals are in the lives of our children and in or communities. How can you help? Learn more
June 25, 2010 | 1 comment(s) | Tags: No Kid Hungry, state partnerships, summer meals
Comments
1 reader comment so far.
What a fabulous idea! I love all that you do with this organization. I am a writer in Durango Colorado and will be doing an article for Edible San Juan Mountains magazine on our local program. See our blog at www.ediblesanjuanmountains.com for area events and updates! Keep up the great work!
Posted by Molly Anderson-Childers on June 28, 2010
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