Almost 30 million students in the U.S. receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year. But when class is out, millions of these kids go hungry.
Hello, I’m Dr. Brooke Hildebrand Clubbs at Southeast Missouri State University. I have seen the increased need in the summer first hand at the pantry where I volunteer.
According to the organization Feed the Children, summer hunger and food insecurity can cause physical and mental health problems and lead to poor performance in class when school begins again. Summer learning loss, also known as the “summer slide,” happens when students are out of school. It can be detrimental to a student’s academic achievement, but it’s more intense for children who don’t have enough to eat.
The USDA does provide a summer food service program in some locations and Missouri also offers the SuN Bucks program to help families buy food for their children ages 7-17 during the summer months when school is not in session. Families will get a one-time $120 benefit per qualifying child loaded onto an EBT card. These funds can be used to buy nutritious foods at authorized locations.
You can also help keep children fed, healthy, and ready to learn by donating money or non-perishable goods to your local food pantries. Cereal, peanut butter, crackers, boxed milk, and canned fruit are all especially welcome. You can find out more about food banks in your area through the Feeding Missouri organization.
Resources:
https://www.feedthechildren.org/campaigns/summer-hunger/
https://health.mo.gov/living/wellness/nutrition/foodprograms/sfsp/
