Feed the Children Knows Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation: Expands Summer Food and Education Program

OKLAHOMA CITY, June 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In the U.S., more than 14.5 million children receive free breakfast at school, and more than 30.4 million receive lunches through the national school lunch program. For many, school meals are the only consistent food they get in a day, and when the school year ends, so do school lunches. That's why Feed the Children is kicking off its Summer Food and Education Program in communities across the country to help combat the alarming number of children who do not have a stable source of nutrition during the summer months.

The nonprofit is partnering with community organizations to hold meal sites at libraries, parks, camps, churches, and schools and plans to provide up to one million meals this summer. This will provide kids an opportunity to stay active and enjoy their summer. Knowing education can help break the poverty cycle, the organization offers free books to each Summer Food and Education site.

"Feed the Children is dedicated to making sure children have the food they need throughout the summer months," said John Ricketts, Director of Domestic Programming at Feed the Children. "We know that when we combine our efforts we can set children up for success and help break the cycle of poverty."

Ronnie, age 10, says being hungry in the summer isn't as rare as you might think. "It just happens," he said. "But when you don't have any more food at home, there's Feed the Children who helps out."

In 2017, Feed the Children distributed 500,000 meals through the Summer Food and Education Program sites across Oklahoma and Tennessee. This summer, sites will be found in various communities around each of its distribution centers which are located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Elkhart, Indiana; La Vergne, Tennessee; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; and Ontario, California. Additional Summer Food and Education sites are planned in Texas, South Carolina and New York. The organization is also working with the Partnership with Native Americans to bring meals to various tribes located in Arizona.

About Feed the Children

Established in 1979, Feed the Children exists to defeat childhood hunger. It is one of the largest U.S.-based charities and serves those in need in the U.S. and in 10 countries around the world. It provides food, education initiatives, essentials and disaster response. It operates five distribution centers located in Oklahoma, Indiana, California, Tennessee and Pennsylvania.

In fiscal year 2017, Feed the Children distributed 79.8 million pounds of food and essentials to children and families in the U.S. Internationally, it provided nutritious food or other benefits to 1,080,000 children, empowered 291,000 parents to make better decisions for their children, and positively impacted more than 1,200 communities and schools in 10 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. It is accredited by GuideStar Exchange and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance.

Visit feedthechildren.org for more information.

SOURCE Feed the Children