New funding from No Kid Hungry and Nationals Philanthropies helps ensure kids in Virginia and Maryland can access free meals during school closures and every day.
Contacts:
Adrienne Carter, acarter@strength.org
Chris Browne, christopher.browne@nationals.com
WASHINGTON, DC - As part of its ongoing COVID19 relief and recovery efforts, No Kid Hungry, a national campaign to end childhood hunger in America, and Nationals Philanthropies, the official charitable arm of the Washington Nationals, have issued matching grants of $25,000 to Fairfax County Public Schools (VA) and Prince George’s County Public Schools (MD) for a total of $50,000 to each school district.
These funds will help Fairfax County and Prince George's County Public Schools make sure kids stay nourished. Combined, the school districts will serve approximately 35,000 meals a day through curbside pick-up, pop-up meal sites and bus route delivery.
“For all the kids across the country who live with hunger, school meals can be the only food they can depend on each day," said Tom Nelson, President and CEO of Share Our Strength, the organization behind the No Kid Hungry campaign. "It's up to all of us to make sure America's kids – our future leaders – aren't left behind during this national emergency. Together with Nationals Philanthropies, we are working to ensure kids in Fairfax and Prince George’s County can continue to get the nutrition they need during this crisis.”
Before the pandemic, 1 in 7 American kids lived with hunger; this year, that number may grow to 1 in 4. While there may not yet be a cure for COVID19, the hunger that so many families across the country are suffering while out of school and work is solvable.
“The uncertainty caused by the pandemic is particularly unsettling for the most vulnerable members of our community, especially when regular avenues to support services are unavailable,” said Tal Alter, CEO of Washington Nationals Philanthropies. “It is our responsibility to ensure we do everything we can to meet the needs of our neighbors, paramount among these basic needs is the access to nutritious food. The school districts of Fairfax and Prince George’s County are the embodiment of staying in the fight, and we are proud to partner with No Kid Hungry to support their work to continue providing this essential service for young people.”
No Kid Hungry and Nationals Philanthropies, through its NATS4GOOD Community Response Fund, remain committed to assisting communities throughout the Coronavirus outbreak and its aftermath.
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But 1 in 7 kids will face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger through effective programs that provide kids with the food they need. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization working to end hunger and poverty. Join us at NoKidHungry.org