3 days ago
PA summer food insecurity — Local food bank aims to keep kids fed while out of school
As schools close for the summer in Northwest Pennsylvania, food insecurity becomes a pressing issue for many families.
While summer is typically a time for children to enjoy a break from school, it poses challenges for parents struggling to provide meals that their children would normally receive at school.
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According to Feeding America's annual study 'Map the Meal Gap,' one in five children in Northwest Pennsylvania is food insecure. This statistic underscores the importance of summer feeding programs.
'It's a large number, it's a concerning number,' said Gregory Hall, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of NWPA.
Second Harvest Food Bank of NWPA is committed to addressing this issue by expanding its summer feeding programs. The food bank partners with schools and school districts to provide food assistance during the summer months.
Gregory Hall explained, 'The way the programs work, we partner with schools, school districts in all of the counties that we serve. We work with them to get the backpacks to the kids in need in the summer and a lot of our partner schools have school food pantries as well.'
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Food insecurity during the summer can lead to mental health problems, language and motor skill issues in young children, and academic regression. The food bank serves 11 counties in Northwestern Pennsylvania and has recently expanded its programs in Crawford, Forest, and McKean counties.
Gregory Hall noted the challenges of rising grocery prices and limited access to food, stating, 'It's a two-fold problem. One is the costs and increases that we've seen over the past 5 or 6 years for grocery prices. The second we see is access. We talk about food deserts and maybe there's only one retailer in a region that folks can get food from.'
Families in need of assistance are encouraged to contact Second Harvest's food help line for more information on available programs.
Contact the Food Help Line at (814) 459-3663, ext. 117. Their team is able to assist in locating the nearest available program and to answer any questions they may have.
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