Feeding America launches new Summer Foods PSA Campaign

With Memorial Day behind us and the weather in the 80's here in Chicago, it definitely feels like summer! As a native Midwesterner I spend the entire year looking forward to these few short months and try to spend as much time outside as possible. As a kid, nothing was more exciting than that last day of class knowing that the next three months were homework-free.

Unfortunately, not all kids feel that way. Kids that rely on free or reduced-priced school lunches often spend their summer worrying about where they will get their next meal. In fact, more than 21 million children receive free and reduced-price meals during the school year, yet only 2 million children access free meals from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Summer Food Service Programs in the summer. That's a gap of 19 million children who experience summer hunger!

Feeding America's network of local food banks have the programs in place to help provide meals to these children, but we need to get the word out. That's why in partnership with the Ad Council, we've created new public service advertisements (PSAs) to raise awareness of where families across the country can find free and nutritious meals for their children during the summer months when school isn't in session.