This put up was initially printed on Seattle Medium
By RayJaun Stelly
Making certain kids and youth will obtain nutritious meals all through the summer time months is a high precedence for the Metropolis of Seattle, the United Method of King County, and quite a few community-based organizations in Seattle. That’s why Mayor Bruce Harrell and the Seattle Human Companies Division are launching the 2023 Summer season Meals Program.
The Summer season Meals Service Program has been operational for 63 years, courting again to the late Sixties, serving to fill the void of receiving meals throughout summer time months when college just isn’t in session. Understanding that kids want vitamin all year long, this program helps proceed that for these 18 and underneath.
The Human Companies Division began this program on July 5 and is ready to finish on August 25, offering free meals and snacks at 62 websites throughout town. Committing themselves to creating certain no little one will go hungry within the metropolis, particularly through the summer time months when college meal applications are on pause.
In case your little one is between the ages of 1 and 18, they’re eligible for this system, and no ID, proof of residency, or utility is required.
Greater than 18,000 kids and youth in Seattle qualify free of charge or reduced-price meals, and 1 in 6 are meals insecure. In 2021, greater than 82,000 meals had been served to 4,500 kids who in any other case wouldn’t have a meal through the summer time months.
Mayor Bruce Harrell, who lately joined the Mayor’s Alliance to Finish Childhood Starvation, stated, “The Summer season Meals Program is a testomony to our metropolis’s dedication to making sure our youngsters are well-fed and nourished, particularly through the summer time months. We’re not solely offering meals; we’re closing the hole for youths who depend on free or diminished lunch through the college yr.”
This program is a crucial step in the direction of our dedication to rising accessibility and lowering the stigma round free meals.
Tanya Kim, Human Companies Division Director
The Mayor’s Alliance to Finish Childhood Starvation consists of a collective of metropolis leaders all through america dedicated to implementing and advocating for insurance policies, neighborhood partnerships, and applications such because the summer time meals program, designed to fight childhood starvation.
This alliance, shaped in January 2022, goals to finish little one starvation and harnesses the person and collective management of mayors to finish childhood starvation in communities nationwide. Understanding that there isn’t any excuse for youngsters to go hungry but it surely’s nonetheless occurring day-after-day in all communities.
“This program is a crucial step in the direction of our dedication to rising accessibility and lowering the stigma round free meals. We’re guaranteeing that nutritious, interesting meals are inside attain for our metropolis’s youth,” says Human Companies Division Director Tanya Kim.
This system is funded by native, state, and federal companions, together with non-public philanthropy. Making a aware effort to satisfy the wants of kids serves excessive significance contemplating the lack of COVID-19 applications that supported native meals banks and different meals safety programming in our area.
United Method CEO Gordon McHenry, Jr. acknowledges that the combat in opposition to starvation can’t be gained alone, which is why the collaboration with the Human Companies Division is necessary.
“We’re proud to associate with the Metropolis of Seattle and community-based organizations throughout our area to make sure households have low-barrier entry to summer time meals. Collectively, we generally is a neighborhood that ends summer time starvation,” McHenry expressed.
The put up Seattle Launches 2023 Summer season Meals Program To Fight Childhood Starvation appeared first on The Seattle Medium.
