Featured blog from the desk of Judy Jones, Development Director.
What happens in the summertime to children who receive free or reduced-price school meals during the school year? Nationally, parents report that family food expenses increase by more than $300 per month when kids are not in school. For many low-income families, there simply isn't enough stretch in the family budget to accommodate the increase.
Nelly, 17, a Cleveland area teen, knows first-hand about being hungry. She lives with her grandmother and her uncle, but has come to rely on a Hunger Network center for food when she’s not in school after her grandmother had a heart attack and had to give up her job. Her uncle works odd jobs but cannot find consistent work. Since coming to the Hunger Network center, Nelly not only receives lunch every day but has also started volunteering in other center programs. She will tell you, however, that the most important things she has received from the center are the bread, vegetables and general grocery assistance she brings home.
Nationally, the numbers are staggering. According to the latest USDA data, 15.8 million (21.6%) children lived in households facing a constant struggle against hunger. Of those children, less than 3 million received summer meals in 2013. In fact, in 2012 Cuyahoga County had the greatest number of food-insecure residents, with 212,449 adults and 129,680 children living with food insecurity. (''Food insecure'' is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's description of when consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year.) The ''Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation'' study by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) reveals that many of the more than one in four children in Ohio living in ''food insecure'' households do not have access to adequate nutrition, especially during the summer months.
Most of these children, unlike Nelly, do not live in walking distance of a center that provides summer meals. Instead of having fun, these children worry about where their next meal is coming from.
They are children like Arianna. Before this year, 10-year old Arianna had never worried about food. Her mom and dad both worked regular jobs and there was always hot food on the table for dinner. Her mom made breakfast every day and then there was lunch at school. But this year, Arianna’s world crashed. Her mother died unexpectedly and her father lost his job. Arianna found herself eating both breakfast and lunch at school – and rarely had a hot dinner at home. But at least she wasn't hungry. And she knew that when summer came, she would be outside playing with her friends. But she didn't expect to suffer from hunger. Her father struggled with his new role as a single parent – and was ashamed to ask for help. Without access to school breakfasts and lunches, Arianna found herself at home alone more often than not, without any food in the house. Until her father found out about the Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland and their system of food pantries and hot meals, Arianna worried about both herself and her father.
The Hunger Network has been helping families like Arianna’s and Nelly’s every day in every neighborhood of Cleveland and in suburbs like Middleburg Heights and Richmond Heights since 1978. Through our 100 pantries and hot meal programs, operated by over 1,100 caring volunteers, the Hunger Network distributes groceries and meals to more than 60,000 people a month – and shockingly, 25,000 of those people are children like Arianna.
The Hunger Network relies on the generosity of people like you in order to operate. We leverage federal, state and government resources along with support from individuals, companies, churches and others in order to get 4-5 balanced meals for each dollar spent. Imagine – providing 4 meals for just $1.00!
But more needs to be done. Not every Hunger Network center can afford to provide summer meals. And there is no doubt that the need far surpasses available resources during the summer months and throughout the year.
Together, we can make a difference in a child’s life this summer. Please consider making a financial donation to help us bridge the gap between hunger and food! Please click on the “donate” button on our website and look for the annual campaign link. Together, we can help a child worry less about his or her next meal – and instead concentrate on having fun!
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