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July 9, 2024Feeding America® study estimates 44,780 children in Nassau and Suffolk counties were food insecure in 2022
LONG ISLAND, NY — June 28, 2024 — The recent Map the Meal Gap report for Long Island issued by Feeding America® paints a stark picture — an estimated 44,780 children in Nassau and Suffolk counties were food insecure in 2022. This is a pressing issue that cannot be ignored. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that food insecurity affected 12.8 percent of households with children in 2022. Many Long Island school-aged children rely on their schools’ free breakfast and lunch programs, but when school ends for the summer, they face the risk of food insecurity until school resumes in September.
Stepping in to provide a crucial lifeline during the summer months, Island Harvest Food Bank’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), administered by the Food and Nutrition Service, an agency of the USDA, will deliver a combination of breakfasts, lunches and snacks, Monday through Saturday. These meals will be provided to programs operated by municipal agencies, summer and day camps, community centers, libraries, churches, and community-based organizations across Long Island. The program, running from June 24, 2024, to August 30, 2024, is expected to serve over 60,000 meals to approximately 1,440 children and teenagers at 22 sites across Long Island this summer.
“For parents struggling to make ends meet, summer can be stressful, especially with the high cost of groceries and other essential items, and these months should not be a time for children to worry about when their next meal will be,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, president & CEO, Island Harvest. “The SFSP allows us to partner with community programs to help address the public health crisis of food insecurity, especially among the most vulnerable among us — children.”
The SFSP is committed to providing meals and snacks, at no charge, to children 18 years old and younger without any form of discrimination. The program’s acceptance and participation requirements are the same for all, regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. There is no discrimination in the course of the meal service. The SFSP is a federally funded, state-administered program. SFSP reimburses program operators for providing free healthy meals to children 18 years old and younger in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
For more information on the Summer Food Service Program, please call Jenny Schaeffer, Chief Programs & Network Officer, Island Harvest Food Bank, at 631-873-4775 or email jenny@ih.local. To find local food sources in your area, text your ZIP code to 631-450-3775 or visit islandharvest.org and click on the “Find Help” tab.
Any person who believes they have been discriminated against in any USDA-related activity should immediately write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call 800-795-3272 (voice) or 202-720-6382 (TTY).