Ending Hunger with Summer Meals

New Haven's Free Summer Meals program sends food trucks to parks and playgrounds. Image Source: End Hunger Connecticut!

During the summer months, children who depend on school breakfasts and lunches are at risk of going hungry. Local food policy advocates have teamed up with End Hunger Connecticut! to make sure that doesn't happen in and around New Haven.

New Haven's and Hamden's Free Summer Meals Program has kicked off with more than 70 meal sites at schools, camps, churches, and mobile units throughout New Haven and Hamden offering free nutritious breakfast, lunch, and dinner to anyone 18 and under. The program runs through Aug. 16. No proof of income or ID is necessary.

Find summer meal locations here, or by calling 211 or sending a text CT meals to 877877.

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture funds the summer meals program, while local partners lead a big effort on the ground to prepare and serve the food, and to advertise the program to families who would benefit. Local food advocates from the Witness to Hunger Project and other volunteers recently publicized the program by canvassing neighborhoods with high rates of food insecurity.

During last year's program, 195,000 summer meals were served in New Haven and 12,000 in Hamden.

End Hunger Connecticut! also runs a call center for helping qualifying individuals apply for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), otherwise known as food stamps.

For more information about the End Hunger Connecticut!, visit its profile on giveGreater.org.

Did you know?

Nationally, summer meal programs feed 2.7 million kids per day, 31,000 in Connecticut, according to New Haven U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro.

This story is part of the Inspiration Monday story series produced by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.