More than 18 million children receive free and reduced-price school lunches during the school year. However, when schools let out for the summer, the number of children receiving support through food service programs drops significantly, to fewer than 3 million. This means nearly 16 million children from low-income families, or 1 out of every 7, are without the critical safety net of nutritious meals during the summer.
The National Recreation and Park Association has teamed up with the Walmart Foundation to address this staggering statistic and eliminate child hunger. As a partner in Fighting Hunger Together, NRPA is engaging park and recreation agencies across the country to combat child hunger. As the largest provider of children's meals during the summer months, park and recreation agencies are capable of quickly and effectively reaching children in need with nutritious meals. In fact, park and recreation agencies are on the frontline in addressing many community health needs, including children's nutrition.
Through the Walmart Foundation's support, NRPA is helping park and recreation agencies in 30 communities across the country expand their feeding programs, reaching more children with nutritious meals during out-of-school times. This collaboration will result in these agencies serving an additional 2.5 million meals to low-income children. Together, we're fighting hunger in a real way and laying the foundation for learning and growth.
How to Get Involved
1) Whether running one feeding site at a community center or sponsoring a food service program serving more than one-thousand sites, or considering adding a feeding program for the first time, NRPA can help your agency reach more at-risk children. To learn more, contact Jimmy O'Connor.
2) USDA Food and Nutrition Services offers comprehensive information on the administration and management of federal food service programs, including the Summer Food Service Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program at http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/.
What Cities Are Involved
84% of the 12,000 park and recreation agencies throughout the United States are providing meals to low-income children. These 10,000 agencies represent nearly every community, from large to small and urban to rural. Through NRPA's Serving Communities - Healthy Meals for Children grant, park and receation agencies in the following communities are expanding their food service programs:
- Montgomery, AL
- Bakersfield, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- San Diego, CA
- Monte Vista, CO
- Washington D.C.
- Hialeah, FL
- St. Petersburg, FL
- Atlanta, GA
- Chicago, IL
- Bloomington, IN
- Indianapolis, IN
- Wichita, KS
- New Bedford, MA
- Genesee County, MI
- Kansas City, MO
- Saint Paul, MN
- Aberdeen, MS
- Plainfield, NJ
- Albuquerque, NM
- New York, NY
- Columbus, OH
- Portland, OR
- Philadelphia, PA
- Greenville, SC
- Brownsville, TN
- Austin, TX
- Houston, TX
- Richmond, VA
- West Bend, WI
To learn more, contact Jimmy O'Connor.