BETHLEHEM, Pa. — For decades, children across Pennsylvania have had the opportunity to receive nutritious, free meals and snacks throughout the summer.
But, officials are worried those who need it most may not even know the program exists.
“We want to expand the program’s reach,” said Vonda Ramp, state director of Pennsylvania’s Child Nutrition Programs. “There's a tremendous need out there.
“This program has been in place for years, and yet there are folks that still are unaware of it.”
Ramp, along with Khalid N. Mumin, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, on Monday visited Bethlehem Area Public Library’s South Side branch, 400 Webster St., to raise awareness about the Summer Food Service Program. The program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and run by the state’s Department of Education, provides free meals throughout the summer to any child 18 and younger.
“Families can participate in the program for their kids, but, also, community organizations can become meal service sites if they're interested,” Ramp said. “We want to generate that awareness.”
While a handful of children ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, complemented with healthy snacks and a carton of milk to wash it all down, Mumin read “Mel Fell.” The book, a Caldecott Honor Award Winner by Corey R. Tabor, follows a bird who learns about confidence while learning to fly.
“Coming to the library on a regular basis and engaging in fun activities will jumpstart your career in your next grade level,” Mumin said to the children. “And you’re going to have fun.”
I’m at @paBAPL’s South Side branch, where @PADeptofEd Secretary Dr. Khalid N. Mumin read “Mel Fell” by Corey R. Tabor. pic.twitter.com/ZBdpmtONvL
— Molly Bilinski, artisanal sentence crafter (@MollyBilinski) July 8, 2024
Hunger in the Lehigh Valley
Food insecurity reaches throughout the Lehigh Valley. Inflation — also called "greedflation" by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey — has driven up the cost of groceries, stretching household budgets even thinner and exacerbating the issue.
Across the region, 10.7% of residents are food insecure, up from 7.8% before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley. The percentage of hungry children has also risen, from 13% to 15%.
Although that initial spike has plateaued, recent research from United Way of Pennsylvania shows that feeding their families remains a top concern among residents living paycheck to paycheck.United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley
“As a result of the pandemic, emergency food pantries supported by United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley served 88% more people,” according to the agency. “Although that initial spike has plateaued, recent research from United Way of Pennsylvania shows that feeding their families remains a top concern among residents living paycheck to paycheck.”
But, there have been local and regional initiatives to help.
Earlier this year, 10 farmers from the area joined the Lehigh Valley Food System Coalition to develop a sustainable food infrastructure for organizations in the region.
Last month, The Libre Initiative, a Latino political advocacy group, handed out grocery vouchers valued at $59.08 for Ideal Food Basket, a market just off Broadway in South Bethlehem. The amount was symbolic and calculated to represent the amount of inflation since 2021, when the Biden administration came into office, officials said.
Targeting hungry children has been a focus of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration.
Last year, he added a Universal Free Breakfast Program to the state’s budget. Since then, student participation has doubled, with more than 455,000 free breakfasts served each day in schools across the commonwealth.
The 2024-25 budget includes a $16.7 million increase to continue the universal free breakfast program, officials said.
‘Dependent on those meals’
With children fed during the school year, state officials have turned their attention toward the summer months, when schools are closed.
“Sixty-three percent of school-aged kids in Pennsylvania are eligible for free or reduced price meals. They're dependent on those meals during the school year,” Ramp said. “Once the summer months hit, there's an expense to start providing lunch and breakfast.
“And that can be pretty lofty.”
Through the Summer Food Service Program, also called SUN Meals, children can get nutritious meals during the summer months at no cost to parents. Piloted in the late 1960s before becoming permanent in 1975, meals are distributed at libraries, parks and community centers — no questions asked.
“Kids can’t learn on empty bellies, and hunger knows no seasonal boundaries,” Mumin said in a news release distributed following the event. “Students need nutritious, filling meals to keep them energized and learning throughout the summer months as well as during the school year.
“There are thousands of locations in Pennsylvania where students can enjoy a healthy, free meal this summer — including local libraries.”
The USDA has a map on its website, showing locations that offer on-site as well as to-go meals.
There are more than 2,000 summer meal service sites open this summer across the commonwealth.
The South Side branch of the Bethlehem Area Public Library is one of 33 summer meal service locations in the Bethlehem Area School District this season, officials said.
At the South Side branch, lunch is available from noon to 1 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, said Alison Madden, branch manager. Usually, there’s an educational program before or after lunch for the children, too.
“We’ll have anywhere from two to 20 [for lunch],” said Madden, who is also site coordinator for the program. “What’s really nice is that we try not to waste any food. Anything left over gets sent back to the school district.”
Last summer, the library served more than 500 lunches. Nearly 44,000 summer meals were served through the school district’s meal service locations.
Residents can find meal sites by calling 211, 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8HAMBRE; by texting “Summer” or “VERANO” to 914-342-7744; or by downloading the Range app.
