Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status Report 2011
New
numbers released by FRAC show summer food programs across the country
struggling to cope with state and local budget cuts. Recession-driven
cuts to summer school and youth programs drove a summer food
participation decline from 2009 to 2010, as fewer sites were open and
available to serve summer meals. The FRAC report, Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation (pdf), contains data for every state and the nation.
FRAC
measures how well the Summer Nutrition Programs are reaching children
in need by comparing the number of low-income children receiving summer
meals to those receiving free and reduced-price school meals during the
normal school year. In July 2010, only 15 children received summer meals
for every 100 low-income students who received lunch on an average day
in the 2009-2010 school year, a decrease from 2009’s ratio of 16:100.
Crystal FitzSimons, FRAC’s director of school and
out-of-school-time programs, pointed out that some states managed to
increase participation, so program growth is an attainable goal.
As summer programs start to kick off for the 2011 season,
groups across the country are making every effort to raise awareness of
free summer meals and recruit more sites. The U.S. Department of
Agriculture held a week-long campaign (June 6-10) to raise awareness
about the risk of hunger low-income children face during the summer
months and the benefits of summer food.
