The Door County YMCA joins national effort to serve 5
million meals to 150,000 kids and teens, in partnership with the Walmart
Foundation and other key funders.
In an effort to combat child hunger, the Door County YMCA will offer its free Summer Food Program, thanks in part to a $35,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation and other key funders of the program. Combining food and fun, the program provides nutritious meals and snacks and fun learning enrichment activities to keep youth healthy, active and well-nourished all summer long. The program runs from June 16 to August 29 and is open to kids ages 18 and under.
Research shows that more
than 30 million children in low-income communities receive free or reduced-cost
meals during the school year, but only 2.3 million of these same kids have
access to free meals when school is out. To help fill summertime gap and ensure
fewer children go hungry, the Door County YMCA will serve 18,000 meals here in Door
County and Algoma. At more than 1,100 summer food program sites nationwide, the
Y will strive to serve 5 million healthy meals and snacks to 150,000 kids this
summer.
In an effort to combat child hunger, the Door County YMCA will offer its free Summer Food Program, thanks in part to a $35,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation and other key funders of the program. Combining food and fun, the program provides nutritious meals and snacks and fun learning enrichment activities to keep youth healthy, active and well-nourished all summer long. The program runs from June 16 to August 29 and is open to kids ages 18 and under.
Research shows that more
than 30 million children in low-income communities receive free or reduced-cost
meals during the school year, but only 2.3 million of these same kids have
access to free meals when school is out. To help fill summertime gap and ensure
fewer children go hungry, the Door County YMCA will serve 18,000 meals here in Door
County and Algoma. At more than 1,100 summer food program sites nationwide, the
Y will strive to serve 5 million healthy meals and snacks to 150,000 kids this
summer.
“At the Y, we are focused
on keeping kids mentally and physically active while ensuring they have access
to healthy food so they’re well-nourished and avoid the ‘summer slide’,” said
Tom Beerntsen, CEO of the Door County YMCA. “The YMCA’s Summer Food Program
will help kids stay healthy, active and energized all summer long, ensuring
they start the school year ready to achieve. For years YMCA summer programing
has been focused on summer learning loss nutrition, and physical activity; we
are committed to closing the achievement gap”
Participants in the Door
County YMCA’s Summer Food Program will receive at least one meal per week day
and enjoy various fun activities. To reach more youth who may be unable to
visit the Y, the Door County YMCA takes the Summer Food Program out into the
community by partnering with multiple business and families in our community to
bring healthy meals, snacks, and fun activities to these kids at 11 different
locations. While children are eating they are encouraged to try new foods, and enjoy
physical activity every day.
The Y is committed to
nurturing the physical, mental and social-emotional development of youth and is
working to ensure that all kids have access to nutritious meals, so they can
continue to be healthy and thrive when out of school. The YMCA’s Summer Food
Program, now in its fourth year, is part of a year-round effort to fight child
hunger in partnership with the Walmart Foundation. In 2013, the Y provided a
total of 7.5 million meals to children across the country through Afterschool
and Summer Food Programs. In Door County last summer the Door County YMCA
served over 10,000 meals to kids and teens throughout the summer.
During the school year,
Door County YMCA will also serve healthy meals and snacks in its after school
program to provide kids with nourishment and academic enrichment.
To learn more about the
Door County YMCA’s Summer Food Program, please call Leah Pluff at 920-818-0796
or visit ymca.net/summerfood.
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