Guest Blog post by our Child Nutrition Advocate, Amanda Caron
This post is part of our month-long blog series in
celebration of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' "National
Nutrition Month." This year's theme is, "Eat Right, Your Way, Every
Day," so each of us here at Hunger Free Vermont will take a turn to
share a personal goal, story or fact regarding nutrition through daily
blog posts throughout the month.
40% of Vermont students
receive free or reduced-price school meals from September to June. But
what happens when school closes for the summer? As the Summer Food
Advocate at Hunger Free Vermont, I’m fond of reminding people that
“hunger doesn’t take a vacation.” Fortunately, free meals were available
to kids at 137 sites across Vermont last summer through the USDA’s
Summer Food Programs. Reliable, healthy nutrition is only one of the
things kids might be missing in the summer, however. School provides
structure and a safe place, the chance to be with friends, opportunities
to exercise and play outside – not all children can count on these
things in the summer. More and more research shows
that the summer months are when many low-income children are at risk
for falling behind, nutritionally and academically. For this reason, we
like to promote quality summer meal programs in tandem with fun
enrichment activities. Our Community Cares Camp in Richmond Vermont does
a great job of meeting the needs of kids in the vulnerable summer
months by providing great food, a unique social experience, and creative
activities. Watch their PSA below for
an inspirational look at how food, fun, and learning go hand-in-hand in
the summer. What’s available for kids in your community this summer?
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