We have a unique opportunity to end summer hunger for kids once and for all.
We here at the No Kid Hungry campaign recognize this and have made this goal a priority. Summer is the hungriest time of the year for millions of children who rely on school meals. When school is out for the summer, many of these meals disappear, leaving families struggling to make it to the end of the month. Before the pandemic, only 13% of kids were able to access summer meals.
The Smith family in Arkansas feels the pain of inflation when their kids are home for the summer.
“When I go to the grocery store, I get really stressed out. I'll be on the phone with James and I'll tell him, ‘I can't do this. These prices are killing us’,” shared Ruby Smith.
They are not alone. Many middle income families are feeling this anxiety. In a survey, 58% of middle-income families reported they struggled to put food on the table over the last year.
Kids and families deserve to have the support systems they need to thrive every summer. Kids shouldn’t have to worry about where their next meal is coming from; they should be enjoying summers with their friends and family.
In December of 2022, Congress approved meal delivery and pick-ups for families in rural areas to access summer meals. They also allowed the expansion of a summer-long grocery benefit for kids. These programs are a monumental step towards ending summer hunger, but now is when the work starts. The work that we do in the next months and years is crucial for their success and to ensure every kid can access the meals they need to thrive. We can change summer from a time of anxiety and hunger to one of enjoyment and opportunity.
The implementation of these rules has mobilized us more than ever to make significant change happen. With your support, we have provided over 3.5 million in grants to schools and community organizations to purchase critical equipment and hire staff to run pick-up and delivery programs in rural areas in 2024.
We continue to advocate at the local, state and federal level for the adoption and implementation of these food programs and for their expansion. In its first year, the grocery benefits for families were implemented by 35 states, five territories and four tribal nations.
Awareness is also critical. We have continued to create and promote materials that inform families about summer meals and benefits and how they can access them. Our free meal finder map and WhatsApp texting services have helped families stay informed about how to find meals in their communities. Last year people used our texting line over 100,000 times and over 1,000 people visited our free meal finders map every day.
Celebrities like Al Roker, Chef Lorena Garcia, renowned Mexican actor and producer Eugenio Derbez and more are lending their voices this summer. By amplifying these tools on their social channels and with media, as well as recording public service announcements, they’re helping us reach as many English and Spanish-speaking families as possible.
Even as kids get ready to get back to school, we need to continue preparing for summer. We cannot ignore the need that exists and the opportunity to make a difference.
"All our communities ate much better ‘cause of this program than they would have. So I just want to say thanks to all the people that had anything to do, put their free time or money or whatever they've done to help and make us happy.” shared Daniel Rose, a dad in southwest Virginia.
Ending summer hunger for kids in the US is on our hands. Together, we can give kids the summer they deserve, a summer filled with joy and happiness.
Ways You Can Help:
Donate: 1 dollar can help provide 10 meals* for kids. Your support will help us fund meal programs all over the country and help us advocate for policies that will help kids get the meals they need"
*Donations help support programs that feed kids; No Kid Hungry does not provide individual meals. Learn more at NoKidHungry.org/OneDollar
