For 12th year, hunger relief organization joining hundreds of partners to ‘fill the hunger gap’ while school is out
“For tens of thousands of local children, summer means more than sunshine and free time — it also means the loss of school meals, often their most reliable source of daily nutrition,” leaders of All Faiths Food Bank point out.
To address this need, the food bank once again is partnering with the Sarasota County and DeSoto County school districts “and hundreds of community partners to provide free, nutritious food to children all summer long,” a news release adds.
“This year, the challenge is even greater,” the release continues. “Families already struggling with the high cost of living are now facing deeper hardship due to federal funding cuts, looming reductions in SNAP benefits, and rising grocery prices driven by inflation and new tariffs. As a result,” the release points out, “the demand for food assistance is growing, and for many children, hunger is not just a possibility — it’s a daily reality.”
With support from donors and partners such as the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation and the Gould Family Trust Foundation at Gulf Coast Community Foundation, All Faiths Food Bank’s annual Campaign Against Summer Hunger is bringing healthy meals to children at dozens of schools and community sites across the Suncoast — including schools, libraries, early learning centers, summer camps, community centers and numerous other organizations,” the release notes.
“From school pantries and hot meal sites to ‘BackPacks’ and snack bags filled with kid-friendly foods, the Campaign ensures children don’t go hungry even when the school year ends. Last year, more than 35,000 children received food through the Campaign,” the release points out.
“No child should have to trade summer fun for the pain of hunger,” said Nelle S. Miller, president and CEO of All Faiths Food Bank, in the release. “Because of our community’s compassion and commitment, thousands of kids will have the food they need to thrive while school is out,” Miller added.
“The effort is bolstered by the federally funded Summer BreakSpot program,” which is operated by the Sarasota County Schools’ and DeSoto County Schools’ Food and Nutrition Services departments. “Summer BreakSpot reimburses participating organizations for meals through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Summer Food Service Program (or Seamless Summer Option),” the release explains. “At many locations, All Faiths provides additional food resources and operates on-site pantries.”
“This USDA program and the community partnerships help support children during the summer months, when the majority of students and their siblings are out of school and have a greater potential to experience hunger,” said Sara Dan, Sarasota County Schools’ director of Food & Nutrition Services, in the release. “This program helps support students’ nutrition, so they are fueled up and ready to learn in the fall,” Dan added.
“Since it began in 2014, the Campaign has become the region’s strongest response to summer hunger, raising more than $20 million to feed local children,” the release points out.
More information about Sarasota County Schools’ summer meal resources may be found at sarsotacountyschools.net or by calling 941-486-2199.
To find a nearby food distribution site, visit allfaithsfoodbank.org/foodfinder. To learn how to help children and families experiencing hunger, visit allfaithsfoodbank.org or call 941-379-6333.