The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), a national nonprofit organization working to eradicate poverty-related hunger and undernutrition in the United States, just released its annual Summer Nutrition Status Report in July. The report measures the reach of the Summer Nutrition Programs last summer, nationally and in each state.
Summer meal sites frequently serve educational and enrichment programming alongside their meals, which together help combat learning loss as well as summertime food insecurity and weight gain. Without access to Summer Nutrition Programs, more children are at risk of falling academically behind when they return to school, which can have a negative cumulative effect on academic achievement year after year.
Students who receive free and reduced-price school meals usually qualify for summer nutrition programs, but are not always as easy to access. Read all about FRAC’s findings.