The summer meal gap refers to children experiencing food insecurity and missing meals at a higher rate when they are not in school. For many children across the United States, summer break means losing access to regular meals provided by school breakfast and lunch programs. Learning more about how to fill the summer meal gap and the impact of summer food donations can help businesses and volunteers make the biggest difference during this difficult time of year.
How Big is the Summer Meal Gap
Over 20 million children receive free school lunch on a typical school day. During the summer months, those children and their families struggle to fill the gap left by school lunches and breakfasts. In addition to the stress of the summer meal gap, some families have had to grapple with the question: Are free school lunches going away? Due to shifting political agendas, some uncertainty about the future of meals food-insecure families rely on has made the efforts of food banks and the donations of community members all the more essential to fighting childhood hunger.
What Summer Meal Programs Are Available
For parents with tighter budgets than ever, summer lunch ideas are harder to come by as the summer meal gap puts additional strain on food banks and meal assistance programs. To stretch meals, parents are frequently using seasonal produce and planning healthy meals with food donation boxes. In addition to maximizing donations and grocery budgets, knowing where summer meals are available to kids is vital for families in need. Local food banks often have information about nearby programs, and sometimes school districts distribute flyers or digital communication about where parents can find nutritional support over the summer. Additionally, the USDA has provided this tool to help make summer meal programs easy to access for all who need them.
How Can Businesses and Individuals Get Involved
For businesses or individuals, giving back to your community by fighting summer hunger is an especially impactful way to help children in need. As a business, choosing partners that share your goals can help you make the biggest impact this summer. Programs like the One Initiative give back with each business transaction made with England Logistics or each load delivered with C.R. England, making it easier than ever to fight childhood hunger as a business. Simply by fulfilling your transportation needs, over 15 million meals have been donated through the One Initiative since 2018!
As an individual looking to get involved this summer, one of the best things you can do is find out which donations your local food banks need most and spread the word. Collecting shelf-stable food donations and letting others know how they can help takes the burden off of food bank staff and alleviates the demand they experience during these months. Spreading information about summer meal programs, donating food, and volunteering at food banks are all ways individuals can make a difference to children in need and close the summer meal gap.
With the summer meal gap impacting millions of children each year, these months are some of the hardest for families and food banks. Efforts to fight summer hunger are essential to healthy development for children in need. Finding ways to give back as an individual or business makes a vital difference in the lives of those experiencing food insecurity and in closing the summer meal gap.
