Congress Looking At Summer Meals Act

For many kids, summer vacation means a time away from the classroom, time to hang out with friends, and of course, a time to do chores around the farm.  But for some in our community, this time of year also mean food insecurity; Children not sure from where their next meal is coming.

In an effort to help those in need, Congress is looking at legislation, the Summer Meals Act 2019, which supporters say would better integrate summer education and meals in underserved areas.  David Beard with School's Out Washington said summer can be a struggle for working families that typically rely on free and reduced-price meals during the school year.

"Many kids lose access to a square meal and sometimes multiple meals a day. So summer becomes a very critical time for them to be able to have access to healthy foods as well as time to learn and continue growing over the summer."

A major resource for families is the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program, which offers free meal sites for kids 18 years and younger.  Last year, more than 930 meal sites across Washington served about 45,000 children per day.

Click Here to find a Summer Food Service Program near you.  According to the USDA, more than 380,000 children in Washington are in food-insecure homes.

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