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Summer Meal Programs Underway Across Kansas City to Aid Food Insecurity
Aid during the Hungry Days
Community and school leaders in Kansas City, Missouri are making sure children do not go hungry this summer as meal programs are kicking into gear during the holidays. These programs are a lifeline for many families who struggle to feed their children due to the high grocery bills experienced in an economy in flux.
A Hunger-Free Summer
Lori Danella, the nutrition services director for Lee Summit School District, states that currently about 22 percent of students in her district depend on free and reduced lunches offered during the academic year. At one particular school within the district, Meadow Lane, over 50 percent of the student body participate in the meal program.
During the summer, Meadow Lane opens its cafeteria to children from the community who are less than 18 years old, thus ensuring that the student population along with the broader community don’t struggle with lack of access to food during the school break. Danella added, “We never turn away a child.”
Local Business Stepping In
Meanwhile, in the neighboring city of Blue Springs, the school district is faced with a staggering meal debt of over $235,000. For the workers at local Sandy’s Restaurant, tackling this problem with their summer food delivery program has been taken personally. Bobby Hines, the restaurant’s general manager, states, “It’s a problem in the community. Somewhere, something’s broken and we can’t fix it, but we sure can help with it.”
Fighting Hunger by Paying off the Debt
In 2019, Hines reveals that the restaurant donated an impressive $100,000 towards the district’s school meal debt. Today, people continue to donate items such as chips, snack bars, and bottled water, which all get packed into bagged lunches to be distributed in areas with the greatest need. From the 10th of June, workers and volunteers at Sandy’s Restaurant are planning to distribute a minimum of 5,000 lunches to local communities throughout Blue Springs.
Allies on the Frontline
Detailed information about the summer meals program run by Lee Summit is available on Facebook. Further support for hungry children is available through the USDA’s summer food service program appropriately named as SUN meals. More information about this can be found on their official website.
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