Student Food Assistance Program ‘Food for the Summer’ Now Year-Round

In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the local Food for the Summer program stepped up to feed students after school closures on March 13.

Since its founding in 2016, Food for the Summer has provided almost 200,000 summer meals to Chapel Hill and Carrboro children.

This spring, as school closures due to coronavirus left students without access to school meals, the program has been expanded.

Since mid-March, the expanded program, now named Food for Students, has utilized USDA funds, private donations and community volunteer support to provide over 300,000 meals at 37 meal sites.

According to their press release, Food for Students is proud to carry on the tradition of feeding students with the expansion of programs occurring outside the summer months.

The founder of Food for the Summer, Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger, said she is grateful to the school district, town, Inter-Faith Council, PORCH and TABLE for all their combined efforts to make Food for the Summer a year-round endeavor.

“In addition to providing food and enrichment, Food for the Summer’s strong reliance on volunteers has brought our community closer together,” said Hemminger.

Food for Students will continue to provide meals on weekdays at 37 sites throughout Chapel Hill and Carrboro this summer. In addition, through collaboration with the Town of Chapel Hill’s Parks and Recreation department, Book Harvest and Public School Foundation, the program will also provide enrichment activities throughout the summer.

For more information on meal sites and schedules, volunteer opportunities, or how to support the program with a donation, click here.

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