No Kid Hungry California has allocated $126,436 in grants to nine school districts and community organizations to improve access to summer meal programs for children in rural areas. These funds aim to address the gap left when schools close for the summer, which often results in a lack of access to nutritious meals for many children.
The organization highlights that federal summer meal programs have traditionally required children to eat on-site, a model that reaches only a small portion of eligible kids. In rural communities, this issue is exacerbated by factors such as sparse meal site locations, transportation costs, extreme weather, and scheduling challenges for working parents.
A recent survey by No Kid Hungry found that over half of rural families struggle financially during the summer months, with more than 80% spending an additional $168 on groceries each month when school is out.
Kathy Saile, director of No Kid Hungry California, said: "There’s long been a huge gap between the number of kids getting meals in the summertime and the kids who really need them - particularly in rural communities. New flexibilities for summer meals in rural communities means that no longer has to be the case."
The grants will support non-congregate meal programs such as home delivery services and improved storage and transportation solutions. The recipients include Alta Public Schools, Coachella Valley Unified School District, Del Norte Unified School District, Feeding San Diego, Gridley Unified School District, Marysville Joint Unified School District, Morongo Unified School District, Val Verde Unified School District, and Vallecitos School District.
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