Hunger Doesn’t Take a Summer Vacation

Summertime couldn’t come soon enough for most children. But for many, the end of the school year marks a time of uncertainty for those who don’t have access to regular meals at home. According to the Food Research and Action Center, over 21 million students receive free or reduced lunches during the school year, and that need doesn’t go away when the school year is over.

There are thousands of summer meals program sites across the country, but many low-income families have difficulty accessing these programs. Many families often aren’t aware that these programs even exist or they have trouble getting to the program locations with no school buses available for transportation. To make matters worse, many qualifying children live in communities that aren’t even eligible for meal sites. And for those wanting to help, much of the paperwork and requirements for setting up these programs are time-consuming and cost-prohibitive. As a result, only about 15 percent of children who qualify for free or reduced meals during the school year are served by these programs during the summer months.

Through the Windermere Foundation, Windermere Real Estate offices across our network have been able to support local organizations that provide summer meal programs to children in need through grants and other donations. These organizations include local Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs, school districts, and local area food banks. You can help children this summer by making a donation to the Windermere Foundation or donating directly to your local area food banks.

If you know of any families that are in need of summer meals, but don’t know where to look for assistance, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service operates the Summer Food Service Program that is administered by state agencies to serve hungry children. Visit the Summer Food Service Program website and search for program locations to find free summer meals for children in your community. Let’s all do our part to help make this summer hunger-free for all children.