The Importance Of A Summer Food Service Program

November 16, 2016ArticlesKids1

This program is about feeding all kids, just not a certain group of kids.

Imagine that you’re a school-aged child. It’s summertime, and it’s time to relax and unwind from the crazy school year you just had. Most kids your age are worried about what fun activities they’re going to be doing or what vacations they’re going to be taking. You, however, are worried about where your next meal is going to come from.

No child should worry about food security. Ever.

During the school year, most children who need food get free or reduced-price lunch at school; however, what are they supposed to do when school is out for the summer? Are we, as a community, supposed to let the children starve?

Fortunately, we can make sure that no kid goes hungry this summer. The USDA provides funds for people or organizations who choose to be sponsors to use for a Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). This summer, Berea College is sponsoring a Summer Food Service Program which is being administered by an organization called Grow Appalachia. I, along with some of the hardest working individuals I have ever met, are working with Grow Appalachia to ensure that we can feed as any children as we can in our community.

One of the biggest myths that I have encountered this summer is the belief that only children who do not have access to food can come get a free meal. THIS IS COMPLETELY FALSE! Any child that is 18 or under, is more than welcome to come to a feeding site and receive a meal. No paperwork to fill out, no nosy questions about how much money a family makes, just show up for a free meal with no questions asked. It’s as simple as that.

Something else that I have encountered is families don’t want to bring their kids because they don’t want to take food away from someone who might need it. Families, I promise you are not taking food away from anybody! In fact, I encourage you to bring your kids to a feeding site for a meal. More meals can be ordered and brought to the site if all the meals have been served. This program is about feeding all kids, just not a certain group of kids.

In addition to receiving a free meal, many sites also have enrichment activities for children to participate in. A few weeks ago, the SFSP I am working for had a “Where Does Your Food Come From” week. During this week, we had activities that helped kids learn where certain foods grow, and we taught the kids about composting. Having activities such as this allows children to continue learning, even when school is not in session.

Even with all the hard work and effort that people all around the US have put into their Summer Food Service Programs, some people still don’t understand the program’s importance. One day, I was helping spread the word about the SFSP in the community, and I had a woman ask me why we were serving meals at multiple sites. “I work for my church food bank, and there are other food banks around here. Isn’t that enough to feed these kids?” It took everything in me not to reach across the table I was standing behind to shake some sense into her. I am not bashing food banks in any way, but some people are embarrassed to go to a food bank to receive food. Society looks down on people who are considered low income, and people in this situation don’t want to feel like they’re getting a handout. The SFSP is for children to come eat a free meal without judgment or without feeling embarrassed.

There are kids that are going hungry in the United States every day. According to FRAC, only one in seven children who receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year receive meals from this program during the summer months. This meals that six out of those seven kids are still going hungry this summer. Let’s work to increase the number of kids getting fed because no kid deserves to go hungry.