Summer meal program for Philly kids kicks off
Hunger remains a big challenge in the city of Philadelphia with what officials estimate are tens of thousands of children in need. Philadelphia is launching its summer feeding program to meet that need.
CHINATOWN – Hunger remains a big challenge in the city of Philadelphia with what officials estimate are tens of thousands of children in need. Philadelphia is launching its summer feeding program to meet that need.
Big picture view:
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It’s not every day the mayor of the nation’s 6th largest city feeds a day-old calf by bottle, but in Philadelphia – where one in three children struggle with hunger – nothing is off limits to make a point.
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Jacqueline Velykis is the mother of seven-year-old Elijah. She said, “Just at my son’s school, I know kids rely on breakfast and lunch provided. When school is out or they have a day off, it’s a struggle. Kids don’t eat. It’s really sad and unfortunate.”
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Summer in Philadelphia is far from fun and games for tens of thousands of city kids who rely on the city’s summer feeding program until schools reopen. Providing snacks and meals to children 18 and under across the city, the program kicked off Wednesday at the renovated Vare Recreation Center in South Philly.
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What they’re saying:
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Commissioner Susan Slawson leads Philadelphia’s Parks and Recreation Department. She told those gathered, “School may be out, but hunger doesn’t take a vacation more than 100-thousand kids face food insecurity.”
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Food and service providers displayed their wares near Vare’s spray field as kids were handed meals by city leadership and former Eagles receiver Jason Avant.
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The runaway star of the show was the wobbly, newborn calf from a Lancaster dairy. Steve Harnish is a partner in the Central Manor Dairy. He said, “We’re pleased that they are offering freed foods like yogurt, cheese, and fluid milk. It’s important for growing bodies to have these as part of their diet.”
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Battling poverty, including hunger, in the nation’s poorest big city is a mainstay of Mayor Parker’s agenda as she passes a year half on the job and looks ahead. Asked if she could change the present reality as Philadelphia as the nation’s poorest big city, Parker said, “I want to end hunger, and I want to end homelessness. Some will say that’s such big thinking – impossible. I won’t ever stop trying.”
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What you can do:
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For more information and how to find a location for your child or family, visit the city’s website, here.
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