Politics
Politics

U.S.D.A summer meal program provides free food for Georgia children

Thousands of children and teens in the United States rely on school meals. With school now out of session, the United States Department of Agriculture is organizing locations across the country to offer summer meals for these children. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM
Thousands of children and teens in the United States rely on school meals. With school now out of session, the United States Department of Agriculture is organizing locations across the country to offer summer meals for these children. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM
By Nathan Harris
June 30, 2017

A U.S. Department of Agriculture program is providing thousands of Georgia children with free meals this summer.

Sponsors in the program fund food for various sites such as daycare centers and churches throughout the state, later getting reimbursed with federal funds.

There are roughly 100 organizations sponsoring 2,300 sites in Georgia, providing free food for low-income children that normally rely on free or reduced meals during the school year.

“That’s a blessing to us that we don’t have to worry about the finances,” said Kevin Johnson, the unit director at the Salvation Army Bellwood Boys and Girls Club in Atlanta.

In order to increase awareness of the program, non-profits like No Kid Hungry have pushed campaigns on social media and in the community.

One of their methods is a texting hotline, where parents can text “FOOD” or “COMIDA” to 877-877 to find summer meal sites near them.

For more information on the Summer Food Service Program go to our subscriber site at myAJC.com.

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Nathan Harris
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