Guest post by Emma Botwick, No Kid Hungry Summer Youth Ambassador
COVID-19 has caused schools to shut down and millions of families to suffer, leaving children more susceptible to hunger. This summer, for the first time, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle sponsored the national Summer Food Service Program, also known as Summer Meals, to combat these food needs for five weeks during the summer months. Inter-Faith Food Shuttle partnered with 17 different Raleigh Parks and Recreation summer camp sites as a means of getting nutritious meals to children who might otherwise have to go without.
The Food Shuttle was very excited to welcome back volunteers to assist with delivery of the Summer Meals. The request for volunteers went out and, in just two days, over 175 volunteer slots for meal delivery were filled. It was incredible to see so many people willing to make a commitment to serving kids in the community. Volunteers were critical for making the Summer Meals program run smoothly and successfully. In order to ensure that everyone stayed safe, and in accordance with recommendations set forth by Feeding America and local health officials, all volunteers were required to have their temperatures checked each day, that they wear gloves and masks, and a contactless delivery system was implemented for dropping off the meals.
The children received a lunch meal and a snack five days a week. The meals were prepared by the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle culinary team and included a meat, two servings of vegetables, and a grain. Snacks usually consisted of a fruit and cheese stick or a granola bar. The prepared meals met USDA requirements and great feedback was received from the kids and site supervisors about how much the meals were enjoyed. One week, a brochure was included with information about physical activities to encourage the kids and their families to learn more about healthy habits.
This year’s Summer Meals program was a success, feeding almost 150 children every day of the program. Thank you to all the volunteers and the culinary staff that made the Summer Meals program possible, giving the Food Shuttle another opportunity to provide innovative, transformative solutions designed to end hunger in our community.