Guest Blogger: HFVT Child Nutrition Advocate, Amanda Caron, on the importance of the Summer Food Service Program

Last school year, 37,000 children in Vermont were signed up for free or reduced-price meals– that’s 40% of all Vermont students. Every teacher, principal, or food service director I’ve met in the state has seen child hunger in his or her school – imagine, then, the risk and stress these children must face during the summer months when school meals abruptly disappear.

Thankfully, Vermont schools and other non-profits are increasingly making use of the federal Summer Food Service Program to mitigate the increased risk of hunger during summer vacation. Nationally, participation in the program is declining, as budget cuts lead to reductions in summer school and other programs where meals are often served. Vermont, however, is bucking the trend, having added 30 summer meal sites in 2012. We are now ranked 6^th in the nation for providing summer nutrition for kids.

I recently visited two summer meal programs and saw their important role first-hand.

At Enosburg Elementary School students can drop in for a free breakfast starting at 8am and lunch is served at 11:30am. Between meals, School Food Service Director, Earleen Bosley, and her team lead activities related to the gardens they’ve planted in every spare green space on the school’s grounds. In addition to providing regular nutritious meals, this program provides a free and inclusive opportunity for fun, learning, and adult supervision.

Watering the garden at Enosburg Elementary!

In Brattleboro, an extensive summer meals program serving a dozen locations was at risk this year when the sponsoring organization had to pull out. Community members rallied to find a replacement sponsor, and the Windham Regional Career Center stepped forward with an innovative model: WRCC hired a half-dozen of their high school students to help prepare and deliver meals for the summer program. Now, in addition to a 12^th year of summer food for Brattleboro youth, students are gaining job experience and summer income.

At Hunger Free Vermont, we realize that kids need more than good nutrition in the summer. They need opportunities to learn, be active, socialize, and they also need guidance from adults. We’re proud to work with organizations and individuals committed to meeting all of these needs year-round, and summer meal programs help them do this. As our country continues to struggle post-recession, we must continue to fight the trend and keep these programs a priority.