Parents, grandparents, and caregivers may also simply text ‘FOOD’ or ‘COMIDA’ to 304-304 to find free summer meals near their neighborhoods or visit No Kid Hungry Texas’ meal finder online: https://www.nokidhungry.org/find-free-meals.
Press Release from No Kid Hungry Texas : Top Image from https://secure.nokidhungry.org/
East Central Development Center and Sabinal ISD are among seven organizations in Texas to receive a grant from No Kid Hungry Texas (NKHT), a local child hunger advocacy organization. The grants awarded include $23,000 to the East Central Development Center and $15,000 to Sabinal ISD. These grants are part of a $123,550 statewide investment, which will support their ability to offer flexible summer meal options, ensuring kids stay fed year-round.
Kids in rural areas are especially at risk for hunger during the summer months, due to the barriers posed by traditional “congregate” summer meal programs, where meals are required to be consumed on-site. Lack of reliable transportation, fuel costs, and caregiver work schedules that conflict with meal site operating hours are just a few of these barriers.
New federal flexibilities allow for “non-congregate” meal service in rural areas, meaning meals can be taken home, acquired in bulk, or in some cases, delivered. No Kid Hungry Texas has invested in organizations offering these alternative models and is excited to share the impact these grants will have on the local community.
Parents, grandparents, and caregivers may also simply text ‘FOOD’ or ‘COMIDA’ to 304-304 to find free summer meals near their neighborhoods or visit No Kid Hungry Texas’ meal finder online: https://www.nokidhungry.org/find-free-meals.
NO KID HUNGRY STRENGTHENS RURAL SUMMER MEAL PROGRAMS THROUGH $123,550 INVESTMENT
Today, No Kid Hungry Texas announced $123,550 in funding to 7 rural school districts and community organizations designed to expand these organizations’ capacity to offer non-congregate meal services during the summer months.
Traditionally, federally funded summer meal programs must be offered in a congregate setting, meaning that kids must consume meals on-site. However, recent federal policy changes have allowed rural communities to offer meals in ways that best meet the needs of their community. These flexibilities — in conjunction with expanded capacity and resources through No Kid Hungry’s grantmaking — will help remove barriers and connect more kids to meals during what is typically the hungriest time of the year.
A recent study released by Feeding America found that Texas ranks as one of the nation’s most food-insecure states, surpassing California for the first time. With 1 in 4 kids facing hunger amounting to 1,697,870 Texas children, the latest numbers show a significant increase from the previous year’s data.
“We are extremely grateful for the federal policy changes that make offering these flexible programs a possibility,” said Mia Medina, No Kid Hungry Texas Senior Program Manager. “Those living in rural communities face additional obstacles when it comes to traditional meal sites, such as fuel costs for daily commutes to sites that are few and far between, or work schedules that conflict with a site’s operating hours. We are proud to offer support to programs that will allow families to get the nutritious meals their children need in more practical, convenient ways.”
The funds will be leveraged to ensure each community is equipped for a successful summer meal season. From kitchen equipment for grab n’ go sites and point-of-sale machines to operating and staffing costs for home delivery services, this cycle of grants will help support more than 20 meal sites across the Lone Star State.
The following 7 organizations received grant funding:
- Central Texas Food Bank – Austin, TX
- East Central Development Center – San Antonio, TX
- Houston Food Bank – Houston, TX
- La Grange ISD – La Grange, TX
- Sabinal ISD – Sabinal, TX
- Smithville ISD – Smithville, TX
- Tornillo ISD – El Paso, TX
To learn more about No Kid Hungry’s advocacy work and year-round grantmaking in Texas, please visit https://state.nokidhungry.org/texas/.
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids could face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty. Join us at NoKidHungry.org.
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