Hunger Doesn’t Take a Summer Vacation
Newly released national report shows Texas has work to do to ensure low-income children have access to nutritious food during the summer
(AUSTIN, Texas)—A new national report released this week on child nutrition shows Texas has made progress expanding the reach of publicly funded Summer Food Programs in 2009, but more work is needed to ensure that low-income children have access to nutritious food during the summer, according to the Texas Food Policy Roundtable (TFPR), a new hunger and nutrition advocacy coalition. The Food Research and Action Center’s (FRAC) new report on the federally funded Summer Food Programs, Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status Report 2010, gives data for each state and examines national trends. According to the report, in July 2009 less than 10 percent of eligible Texas children received the summer meals on an average daily basis, ranking Texas 42nd among the states. If Texas boosted participation in July 2010 to serve 40 percent of eligible low-income children, the state would feed an additional 659,400 children and gain $45.4 million in federal summer food funds. “The new report highlights the importance of the Summer Food Programs, especially in the current economic recession,” says Celia Hagert, senior policy analyst at the Center for Public Policy Priorities and a member of the TFPR steering committee. “Over 2.6 million Texas school children rely on free or low-cost meals during the school year. When schools close for the summer, these kids often don’t get enough of the right food to stay healthy. The Summer Food Programs help to meet this need.”
Legislative Action Needed
This year, Congress must reauthorize the Summer Food Programs, providing an opportunity for legislators to increase funding for and restructure the programs to reach more children. In addition to increased federal funding, advocates say Texas legislators should reinstate supplemental state funding for summer food that was cut from the state budget in 2005. more “Texas is facing an epidemic of childhood obesity that experts agree is the result of poor access to healthy food and low levels of physical activity, especially during the summer,” says Bee Moorhead, executive director of Texas Impact and member of the TFPR steering committee. “The Texas Legislature and Congress should act now to strengthen the summer food programs to prevent hunger, help reduce obesity, and draw children into educational and enrichment programs that send them back to school ready to learn.”
Summer program sponsors can take steps locally to increase participation in summer food programs. For example, Central Dallas Ministries (CDM) expanded the reach of its summer program by implementing a mobile feeding initiative called “Food on the Move.” Americorps and VISTA volunteers take food in vans to children who must stay home alone or who live in low-income communities without a summer feeding site. CDM hopes to reach an additional 10,000 children this summer through Food on the Move. To find a neighborhood feeding site, Texans can call 2-1-1 or visit www.summerfood.org.
San Angelo residents should also call Carol Rigby-Hiebert at 325-374-9293 for information about summer food sites. About the Food Programs The Summer Food Programs provide funds to states to feed children in low-income families during the summer months. The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) administers the programs, which are operated locally by schools, nonprofit agencies and local governments, such as parks and recreation centers. TDA uses federal funds to reimburse local sponsors for meals served, freeing up their limited resources to provide recreational and educational activities to kids. Texas Data From the FRAC Report
• From 2008 to 2009, Texas increased the number of feeding sites by 33.6 percent and achieved modest increases in the number of lunches (up 7.8 percent) and children (up 4.7 percent) served.
• The report, which compares participation in July 2009, highlights the primary challenge facing Texas: keeping summer feeding sites open all summer long. In July 2009, Texas fed only 199,189 children at summer feeding sites. In contrast, three times as many children generally receive summer meals in the month of June, according to data from the Texas Department of Agriculture.
• The drastic drop in participation from June to July occurs because most sites are operated by schools, which often close their doors after summer school ends. This leaves a huge feeding gap in the months of July and August. However, FRAC’s report shows that Texas is making progress in this area. From 2008 to 2009, the number of lunches served in July and August increased by 28 percent and 42 percent, respectively. more
• FRAC measures the effectiveness of the Summer Nutrition Programs by comparing the number of low-income children receiving summer meals to those receiving free and reduced-price school meals during the normal school year. In July 2009, less than one-tenth (9.3 percent) of eligible low-income children received summer meals on an average daily basis when compared to the number of low-income children who ate lunch in school year 2009-2009, ranking Texas 42nd among the states.
The Texas Food Policy Roundtable (TFPR) is a broadly based group of Texas leaders who will develop, coordinate and improve the implementation of food policy to address hunger and promote equitable, sustainable and healthy food in Texas. The roundtable will focus on four areas of food policy: SNAP, obesity and nutrition, summer food programs, and local and sustainable food systems. The ultimate goal of the TFPR is food security in Texas. Texas Food Policy Roundtable Steering Committee Members: Center for Public Policy Priorities, Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission , Texas Impact , Texas Health Institute , Texans Care for Children and Texas Food Bank Network.
Celia Hagert and Bee Moorhead are available for interview.
