‘Hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation’
More than 850,000 children across Pennsylvania receive nutrition assistance during the school year. But once summer vacation begins, many of those same children go hungry, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey said.
That’s why Casey is seeking expanded eligibility for summer feeding programs.
“Hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation,” Casey said in a teleconference Thursday. “Hunger is one of the most severe roadblocks in the learning process. Lack of nutrition during the summer months may set up a cycle of poor performance once school begins again. We need to make the summer feeding program accessible to more children, which is why I am supporting legislation to lower the threshold to allow areas with 40 percent or more of students receiving free or reduced meals to be eligible for the open enrollment program.”
The legislation, Summer Meals Act of 2015, would improve the area eligibility test to allow communities to participate if 40 percent of the children in the area are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, provide funding for transportation grants to fund innovative approaches and mobile meal trucks, allow local government agencies and private nonprofit organizations to feed children year-round and allow sites to serve three meals a day rather than two meals and a snack.
The current eligibility test allows communities to participate if 50 percent of the children in the area eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Casey said he’s not against the eligibility test dropping below 40 percent.
During 2013-14, Greene County provided 14,542 children with meals at 19 different feeding sites. In Washington, 15,109 children were served at 18 feeding sites, according to figures provided by Casey.
“It allows us an opportunity to bridge the gap between the school year to reach out to children of all different backgrounds and give them nutritious meals,” Jim Elsenheimer, food service director at West Greene said.
Initiatives are ongoing in Washington to feed as many students as possible in the area. At Washington School District, 79 percent of students (1,877 students) qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch, which is the highest of any Washington County school, according to state Department of Education statistics for the 2014-15 school year. At Trinity School District, just 18 percent (997) qualify.
That’s why LeMoyne Multicultural Community Center in East Washington partnered with seven local churches to expand the community center’s free lunch initiative offered in conjunction with its eight-week Camp Challenge program. The initiative ends Aug. 21.
Meals will be offered at Nazareth Church every day, Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the duration of the eight-week initiative. Meals will continue to be served at the LeMoyne Center for children participating in Camp Challenge.
In addition, South Central Elementary School in Canonsburg, the Cokeburg Fire Hall and John K. Tener Library in Charleroi will be distributing free meals. To reach the LeMoyne Center, call 724-228-0260. For more information, click here.
Greene County’s summer meals program has eight sites available to kids and teens ages 1 to 18. No paperwork is required. Some sites give a lunch and a snack as well.
To find additional summer food sites, visit pasummermeals.com or call the National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE.