Did you know that more than 21 million kids in the U.S. receive free and reduced-price lunches at school? These nutrition programs provide critical support to families in need and keep children full and focused on their education. But what happens when summer break rolls around?
For families trying to make ends meet, summer can mean struggling to stretch already tight food budgets. Federal summer meals programs provide a solution. These free, healthy meals are available to kids and teens, age 18 and under at thousands of summer meal sites across the country. But too many kids are missing out.
Compared to the 21 million children who receive free or reduced-price lunches during the school year, only 3 million eligible children receive free summer meals. A lack of awareness about the program and access to summer meal sites contribute to the low participation.
In the summer months, Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign is focused on making sure kids can get these important meals. The No Kid Hungry campaign raises awareness to ensure parents and kids know that they can access free summer meals and works to recruit new program sites to reach communities in need.
As a proud partner of Share Our Strength, Hickory Farms encourages you to get involved this summer. Visit NoKidHungry.org/Summer for more information on how you can help.
Source: Morgue File
We hope you’ll join us this summer in spreading the word about summer meal sites in your area. Together we can help ensure that kids enjoy their summer break to the fullest extent without the worry of where their next meal will come from.
To learn more about Hickory Farms’ participation in the Share Our Strength cause, be sure to check out some of these previous blog posts:
