School is out for summer, and Feeding Westchester is gearing up for its Kids Summer Feeding Program. During the school year, more than 62,000 children in Westchester County rely on low-cost or free school meals for the food they need to grow and learn. When school is out, children lose access to consistent school meal programs and vital nutrition.
“School may be out, but hunger doesn’t take a break. When the academic year ends, our kids lose access to free or discounted meals – and miss out on nutrition that helps them grow and thrive,” said Karen C. Erren, President & CEO of Feeding Westchester. “We work with our partners to ensure that kids have other ways to get the healthy food they would normally receive at school.”
To fill the gap over summer break, Feeding Westchester, in partnership with more than a dozen community partners and programs, offers a Kids Summer Feeding Program. The initiative provides free healthy meals and snacks through July and August to children who would normally get meals during the school day as part of the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program. The communication plan also provides helpful information to access Federal/USDA and New York State programs.
How Eligible Families Can Participate in the Kids Summer Feeding Program
Balanced Bites – Balanced Bites is a partnership among Feeding Westchester, ARC Mount Kisco, ARC Yonkers and Ability Beyond in Chappaqua, as part of its vocational skills-building program. Feeding Westchester also partners with the Greenburgh Police Youth Camp to build a sense of community among its youth members. Feeding Westchester donates the food, and participants in the programs assemble and deliver up to 750 bags each week to summer camps and community-based organizations. Beginning July 10, a bag of 3-5 non-perishable goods, such as shelf-stable boxed milk, canned fruits and vegetables, cereal, rice and canned soup and stews, will be distributed twice a month to children and families through the following summer camps and community organizations:
- Mount Kisco Boys & Girls Club
- Mount Vernon Boys & Girls Club
- Mount Kisco Head Start
- Port Chester Head Start
- Yonkers Children’s Place
- Port Chester Children’s Place
- The Guidance Center (New Rochelle)
- The Collin Allen Development Center (Mount Vernon)
- Saint Peter’s Day Care Center (Yonkers)
- Y-COP (Mount Vernon)
More local organizations are expected to be added to the list in the coming weeks.
Feeding United Home Deliveries Program – Through a partnership with the United Way of Westchester and Putnam, a 12 – 14-pound bag of fresh produce will be delivered biweekly by Door Dash drivers (Dashers) to qualified families living within a 15-mile radius of Feeding Westchester food distribution hubs in Mount Vernon, Ossining and Peekskill. This program is for families with school-aged children that qualify for free or reduced lunch. Distributions resumed on July 1 and plan to reach 1000 unique households per month. Use this link for more information.
Summer Meals NY – In addition to the services offered by Feeding Westchester, children also can participate in the USDA NY-state program called Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Children, regardless of family income, can get free healthy meals and snacks at various locations throughout Westchester County. For a full list of summer meal locations, go to http://summermealsny.org Families can call 1-866-3-HUNGRY or text FOOD 304-304 to get connected to meal sites in their area.
Summer EBT (from New York State, via the USDA “Sun Bucks” Program)
New for summer 2024, New York State will launch Summer EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer), a program that provides low-income families with food benefits to help buy groceries during the summer when kids might not have access to school meals. Most eligible children will receive Summer EBT food benefits automatically; however, some families may need to apply. Families can receive Summer EBT in addition to other benefits like SNAP and WIC, and Summer Meals NY.
More Ways to Help Fight Hunger this Summer
There are many ways for the community to support the Summer Feeding Program and help nourish our neighbors. People can donate or fundraise. Every $1 donated can provide two meals through Feeding Westchester. Community members also can volunteer their time at home to put together “Help from Home” snack bags, which are distributed through the program. For more details of how to get involved, go to Get Involved – Feeding Westchester (https://feedingwestchester.org/get-involved)
For more information on Feeding Westchester’s Summer Feeding Program, contact Christopher McGregor at cmcgregor@feedingwestchester.org or 914-418-5206.
