Summer 2019: More sites, more meals and more healthy kids!

From Allentown to Easton and Bethlehem to Bangor, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley and our partners from the Lehigh Valley Food Policy Council teamed up to serve more than 100,000 free meals to kids this summer.

“When the school year ends, many of our children lose access to free healthy meals and safe spaces. At United Way, we partner with members of the Lehigh Valley Food Policy Council to make sure that all kids can find nutritious food all year long – no questions asked and no matter where they live,” said Priscilla Rosado, Assistant Director, Food Access and Emergency Services.

Summer meal programs only reach a fraction of the children in need. Locally, only 10-16% of the kids who receive free- or reduced-cost lunch or breakfast during the school year access a summer meal program. 

In the Lehigh Valley, United Way reports that one in ten people are food insecure, and one in four of them are children.

“That means they don’t have consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life,” said Rosado. “Our goal with our partners is to cut that number in half by 2022. Summer meal programs are a key strategy to help us achieve that goal.”

​This year, United Way provided staffing for summer meal sites through the AmeriCorps VISTA – Volunteers In Service To America - program. Nine summer associates supported food programs throughout the Greater Lehigh Valley.


AmeriCorps VISTA Lana Black supported summer meals with the Slate Belt Branch of the Greater Valley YMCA.

To learn more about becoming a summer meal provider, please contact Priscilla.

Take a look at how members of the Lehigh Valley Food Policy Council expanded services in 2019.

 

Greater Valley YMCA

In 2019, the Greater Valley YMCA more than doubled the number of summer meal sites it operates, growing from five locations to 12. As a result, they served more than 13,000 meals this summer – up from 3,700 in 2018.

“Hunger doesn’t stop just because the school year ends. At the Y, the kids we serve are considered part of our family. We are in this fight together, and the Y will do whatever can to combat youth hunger and set children up for success,” stated David Fagerstrom, President/CEO, the Greater Valley YMCA.

The summer meal sites vary from Y Branch locations, community parks, community pools, a fire station, and church with offerings for breakfast, lunch and even supper at some locations.

Additionally, the Allentown branch of the Y will continue to offer meals for kids once school starts through the after-school dinner program. Read more.
 
 

Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative

Operating two summer breakfast camps for children and a monthly community meal open to everyone, the Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative offers free meals to kids in the Lehigh Valley suburbs.

The summer breakfast camps are located at The Redeemed Christian Church of God in Coplay and  St. John’s Lutheran Church in Fullerton. Each site is open from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. every weekday, including holidays.  At these sites, kids receive cold meals every day and hot meals two days a week. They take home a bag lunch daily and a bag of food on weekends. Each day, organizers offer a craft or special activity and require each child spends 15 minutes reading.
 

Allentown Hunger Initiative: Healthy Kids Healthy Allentown

For more than 25 years, Allentown’s Alliance Summer Recreation Program has offered local kids a safe space and healthy food.

“My favorite thing about the program is that anyone can come,” said Has’zah, a child in the program. “Anyone can come and enjoy themselves.”

The drop-in program at Central Elementary School in Allentown serves approximately 100 children each day. Registration is required.

“It’s a safe and fun place for children to come. I think it alleviates the pressures of families that work and now they have a free program to put their children into. The kids just love to socialize,” said program director Tina Amato.
 
 

Libraries: A great place for summer learning and summer meals!

Summer learning and summer meals are a winning combination, and two area libraries offer both. For the second year in a row, Allentown Public Library and Bethlehem Area Public Library’s Southside branch offered summer meals to local children.