Summer meal programs for children underway
With the cost of groceries rising and inflation reaching 4.2%, its highest level in three years, families who rely on school meals for their children face a challenging time now that school is out for summer.
The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and the Greater Washington County Food Bank/Food Helpers of Washington County offer summer meal programs for children.
The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank has launched Summer Youth Cafes 鈥� hundreds of sites throughout the region where children ages 18 and under can eat free, healthy meals when schools are on summer break.
Food Helpers has collaborated with eight libraries in Washington County to provide LittleMoochi snack packs 鈥� filled with healthy, nutritious, kid-friendly snacks 鈥� for summer library reading programs. During the school year, the LittleMoochi program provides nearly 10,000 students in 14 school districts with snacks.
The food bank also stocks food pantries at Washington and Ringgold school districts throughout the summer.
鈥淭he reality is, when school stops, the need for nutrition does not stop for children. In Washington County, there are at least 4,000 to 5,000 students who are in need of food, and the food bank is doing as much as it can to support children in Washington County,鈥� said George Omiros, President and CEO of Food Helpers.
Summer Youth Caf茅, also known as the Summer Food Program, is a U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded, state-managed program that is operated locally by community organizations and school districts.
鈥淲e know many families are struggling to makes ends meet this summer with elevated grocery and utility costs, and higher housing costs. We want to make sure all families know these sites offer meals to any child, no strings attached,鈥� said Kelly Gross, Food Bank Director of Child Nutrition Programs.
There is no cost, and no registration is required.
In Washington, Greene and Fayette counties, the caf茅s are offered at several locations, including schools, parks, churches, libraries and other gathering spaces. The summer food sites will look different, depending on if the program location offers breakfast, lunch, or grab-and-go meals, and the days and times that the sites are open vary.
LeMoyne Community Center operates 13 sites in the Washington area, including sites at Washington Park Elementary School, Canton Community Center, and First United Methodist Church in Canonsburg.
Trish Robinson, program director for the summer feeding program at LeMoyne Community Center, sees summer breakfast and lunch programs as in important resource for children, especially as tighter budgets are impacting low-impact families whose children count on school meals for nutritious meals.
鈥淲e are bridging the food insecurity gap. We are serving as a bridge for those eight weeks or so during summer, between when the kids鈥� school year ends until they start the new school year,鈥� said Robinson, who noted the LeMoyne Center also hosts other summer meal programs.
At one site in the city of Washington, Robinson has noticed the number of children coming in for meals has doubled compared to the same time last year.
鈥淲e are seeing the impact. With costs rising and SNAP benefits being decreased, people are struggling to afford food. It鈥檚 a burden. Parents know that when their kids come to one of our summer feeding programs, they鈥檙e going to get a healthy and nutritious meal. Things we take for granted are such a necessity for some in our community,鈥� she said.
In Pennsylvania, about 1 in 6 children face hunger. Research from the nonprofit No Kid Hungry shows that family grocery costs rise as much as $300 a month when school is out, putting a strain on already-tight budgets.
Other Washington County cafe sites include Trinity High School, Fort Cherry Elementary School, Ringgold elementary and middle schools, Donora Public Library, and St. Andrew the Apostle Parish.
In Fayette County, Albert Gallatin, Brownsville, Connellsville Area, Southmoreland, Uniontown, and Laurel Highlands school districts are hosting sites.
Greene County offers cafes at several locations, including the Center for Performing Arts in Carmichaels, Mt. Morris Fire Department, EQT Rec Center, and the Eva K. Bowlby Public Library.
To find a site near you, visit pittsburghfoodbank.org.
In addition, the Food Bank is encouraging families to sign up for SNAP so they are automatically enrolled in Pennsylvania鈥檚 SUN Bucks program (also known as Summer EBT), a program that helps families buy food for their school-aged children during the summer months. Families will receive a one-time, $120 payment for each eligible child to buy groceries during the summer.