More than 42 million Americans live in what’s considered a food insecure household. That means at some point during the month, there will not be enough food to eat at home.
That’s especially critical during the summer months since many children get their most nutritious meal while at school. Starting June 1, there will be several options across the Kansas City Metro, for young people to grab a meal.
Denise Ogilvie with Catholic Charities helps coordinate food efforts at nearly 30 sites across Kansas, including the Central Library in Johnson County.
“These kids are home, and if they were already living on a tight budget, it’s not going to go far enough to feed everybody all summer long,' said Ogilvie.
The Summer Food Assistance Program is meant to feed children from low-income families but is open to all children. Catholic Charities takes it a step further and will also give a meal to adults in need.
“So we want to be able to help families be stronger,” Ogilvie said 41 Action News.
In 2016, volunteers at Catholic Charities provided meals to more than 8,000 students and more than 2,000 adults. They’re preparing for similar numbers, as long as funding stays in place.
In May, President Trump proposed a nearly $200 billion cut from food nutrition and assistance programs. Ogilvie is also bracing for potential cuts from the State of Kansas.
“As we look at budget cuts to the Kansas State Department of Education and passing a school funding budget; that could also impact if they don’t have funding by July 1," Ogilvie said. "It’s possible that this program would have to shut down throughout the state.”
For a list of where you can go for a meal, clickherefor Kansas locations and herefor Missouri locations.
