Summer Hunger Could Increase for Northland Families...

Summer hunger could increase for Northland families already struggling
Northern Lakes Food Bank
6/2/2009

Typically when school ends for the year, thousands of Northland children face a long summer without a consistent source of balanced, nutritious meals – their free and reduced school breakfast and lunch. This year could be especially difficult as families continue to struggle throughout our region.

“Already this year, use at NE MN and NW WI 35 food shelves has increased 32% by children,” said Shaye Moris, Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank’s executive director. “Families have been hit hard by the economic downturn and many programs have seen record demand for food or other services. Summer could be really difficult.”

Each month in our region over 4,300 children receive food or meals from the food bank, a local food shelf, soup kitchen or youth program. Again, that’s a 32% increase from just a year ago.
Many local food shelves, soup kitchens and youth programs in the Northland strive to combat childhood hunger year-round, but encounter obstacles as the demand for food increases during the summer months.

The Damiano Center which operates a Kids Café© meal program has seen a big jump in the number of children coming for meals. “As recently as a couple of years ago, we prepared for 250 to 300 people at lunch; this summer we’re expecting 400 at each meal,” said Damiano Executive Director David Benson. “This is particularly challenging as we enter the summer months, which always bring higher numbers. Many people experience greater need this time of year.”
To ensure no children go without meals this summer, Moris states that the food bank, its 140 member agencies, and Northland families need the support of the region.

“The community can make a difference,” Moris states. “Financial assistance allows the rescue of food and the feeding of families—volunteer support ensures the operation of our programs. The irony is that childhood hunger is a solvable problem. Our food bank’s goal and the goal of our agencies is to provide nutritious food so children do not have to skip or reduce the size of their meals to ensure their families have enough food to eat.”

As the region’s only food bank, Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank rescues
2.9 million pounds of nationally and regionally donated food for distribution to 140 regional non-profit programs located throughout its northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin service region annually. Over 1 million pounds of food (enough food for 800,000 meals) is rescued and distributed by the food bank to children in our region each year.

For more information contact Shaye Moris, (218) 727-5653, ext. 113 or email shaye@northernlakesfoodbank.org. Our Marketing Coordinator, Deanna Corry, can also be contacted at (218) 727-5653, ext. 118 or email deanna@northernlakesfoodbank.org.

This press release courtesy of BusinessNorth.com