Growing, playing, thriving: how kids access meals during the summer
In the United States, more than 20 million kids eat school meals during the year, including breakfast and lunch. Access to those meals helps kids thrive – providing fuel to learn, to play and to grow. During the summer, when school meals aren’t available, the Feeding America network works to ensure kids have access to food through summer meal programs.
“During the school year, kids go to school every day and they rely on the nutritious breakfasts and lunches,” said Jessica Willis, child nutrition program manager at Northern Illinois Food Bank – a member of the Feeding America network. “But then when school is out for the summer, they might not know where to get those resources to have the nutritious foods that they need to thrive.”
Working alongside communities, the Feeding America network deploys summer meal programs across the country, including backpack programs, meal programs at libraries, parks or community centers, community youth programs and more. The goal: make sure kids have consistent access to food during the summer, when they’re not eating breakfast or lunch at school.
One of those programs is a summer camp in Virginia.
“Eating food at the [summer meals program] is great,” said Tyleeq, a 13-year-old who attends the program every day. “It means when I get home, I’m not hungry. And when I’m not hungry, I can go outside and play and have fun.”
For Tyleeq, having consistent access to food in the summer means he can stay healthy, hang out with his three siblings, and play football.
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Watch how the Feeding America network supports kids when school is out.
Meanwhile, for Nancy Geisey, an elementary school cafeteria worker, access to food means better learning.
“Being able to offer [students] nutritious meals at lunchtime, we know and feel good that the rest of their day is going to be productive,” she said. “They're not going to be fidgety or cranky, because they've got full tummies.”
Research has shown that kids who don’t have consistent access to food may face higher risks of health conditions like anemia and asthma and may experience developmental impairments.
Nancy, an elementary school cafeteria worker in Illinois, knows the importance of consistent access to food for kids, especially when school is out.
So, it’s critical to ensure nutritious food is available year-round – not only when school is in session. In Nevada, the Three Square Food Bank is doing just that. During the summer, their “Meet Up and Eat Up” program takes summer meals directly into the communities that need them most.
“We take the food to apartment complexes or mobile home communities—instead of a site that kids come to, we go to the kids," said Alejandro, a food bank volunteer driver.
Whether kids are eating meals at a summer camp, a park, a community center, or in the comfort of their own homes, the Feeding America network partners with communities to make sure kids have access to the food they need to thrive when school’s out.
“We are fortunate to have resources here within the community where students can access box lunches and meals, snacks throughout the summer,” said Amy Hensley, assistant principal at an elementary school in the Midwest. “And that just makes me feel blessed that we have this within our community to support our students and families.”