From sunny pool days to family road trips, a break from school is a time of excitement and rest after a year of learning for many children. Unfortunately, this picture-perfect summer is unattainable for many families across Arizona.
Instead of fun and relaxation, summer brings stress and uncertainty as many struggle to afford the necessities, including food. With schools closed, children lose access to the regular meals they rely on during the school year. Simultaneously, as the cost of living continues to rise, including energy bills, housing and groceries, every day families must make the impossible choice of paying bills or putting food on the table.
Food insecurity touches the lives of far too many children across Arizona. In fact, one in five children in Arizona is experiencing food insecurity. Meanwhile, in rural communities, this rate climbs to nearly 50%. According to the Arizona Foodbank Network, 293,950 kids lack consistent food access. To put this into perspective, that’s about two kids in every elementary classroom across Arizona.
Hunger doesn’t just weaken the body; it impacts every aspect of a child’s life, especially in the classroom. Teachers and counselors see this struggle firsthand every day as they watch their students become easily fatigued and unable to concentrate on the lessons. This leads to poor academic performance.
Thankfully, schools and the local community are working together to support these children during this vulnerable time.
At Kyrene School District, teachers and counselors saw a troubling pattern of students arriving at school hungry.
“Kids have come and said they didn’t have any food to eat the night before. Kids have come and said they didn’t eat over the weekend,” explained Tatiana Ward, a school counselor at Kyrene de Los Ninos Elementary School in Tempe.
While their free and reduced school meals have been a big help in feeding their students, they felt they could be doing more. To help address this growing issue, Kyrene took the initiative to partner with United Food Bank to feed more of their students by distributing Weekend Food Bags. These bags are sent home on Fridays and contain easy-to-eat meals and snacks such as beef jerky strips, canned ravioli and applesauce. This food allows children to feed themselves even when a kitchen isn’t available.
Since beginning this partnership almost a year ago, Kyrene has distributed over 3,500 weekend food bags to 22 of its 25 schools. But that need is only increasing. At Kyrene del Milenio Elementary School alone, they are giving out 30 food bags a week. However, Katrina Maranville, the school counselor at Kyrene del Milenio, predicts that this number will need to be doubled.
“A lot of times, kids can eat their breakfast and lunch here and know that their bellies are full. But on the weekend, that might be a time when food may be more scarce, so we aren’t as aware if they are having enough meals,” explained Maranville.
But at the end of the day, the impact is more than just filling empty bellies. For Ward, providing food to children helps foster a sense of normalcy and empowerment.
“This is more about the students and more about how it makes them feel. When they are in school, they are ready to learn and feel normal,” said Ward.
Summer break can be isolating and unpredictable for over 20 million students across the United States who rely on school meals. During the academic year, programs like the free breakfast and lunch programs and United Food Bank weekend food bags provide families with enough nutrition and stability. But when schools close for the summer, that safety net disappears. For many families, this means struggling to feed their children every day.
Typically, summer school programs help bridge the gap in food access by providing meal boxes and snack bags, even when regular classes aren’t in session. Unfortunately, this summer will look different. Due to a significant cut in federal funding, schools across Arizona, including Kyrene School District and Mesa’s Eisenhower Center for Innovation, have had to cancel their summer school programs. Schools can no longer distribute food without these programs, leaving many families seeking help elsewhere.
To help meet this need, United Food Bank is stepping in to support families and strengthen our network of partner agencies across the East Valley. While school is out, United Food Bank is working harder than ever to support our partners and ensure families can access the food they need, no matter where they turn for help.
That’s why this year’s Summer of a Million Meals campaign is more important than ever. Now in its eighth year, the campaign comes at a time when the need has never been greater. With your support, United Food Bank can ensure no child goes hungry this summer. Donate today; together, we can make a child’s summer brighter.
Communications and Grants Specialist
Email: ifleck@unitedfoodbank.org