One out of five children in San Luis Obispo County face hunger. When schools are closed for summer, kids have less access to healthy meals because many rely on free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch at school. This is why Feeding America and ConAgra Foods Foundation have partnered to provide more meals to kids when they need them most through the Hunger-Free Summer program. The SLO County Food Bank was one of 27 food banks nationally that received a Hunger-Free Summer grant, funded by the ConAgra Foods Foundation.
“Summer can be an especially hard time for families who are already struggling to make ends meet. We are thankful to ConAgra Foods Foundation for its support of the Hunger-Free Summer program. Working together, we were able to support hundreds more families in our community by ensuring their children have access to nutritious meals.” – Carl Hansen, chief executive officer of the SLO County Food Bank
This summer, the SLO County Food Bank provided nutritious food at 32 breakfast, lunch and/or snack sites. Over 4,300 children in San Luis Obispo County were fed at these sites this summer, more than any other year in the Food Bank’s history.
“This initiative extends our reach with the Feeding America network and directs support to the organizations that work directly in the communities to impact the significant issue of food insecurity across the country,” says Robert Rizzo, ConAgra Foods Foundation. “Through the distribution of additional summertime meals, we hope to have a positive impact on the lives of children, giving them the fuel they need to grow, learn and play, so that they can reach their full potential.”