No More Pencils, No More Books...
That’s what the end of the school year means to kids – but if your family depends on free school lunches, it also means an end to those meals for several months.
At Open Table we know summer vacation has a big impact on the food needs of many families. In response, we offer our Fuel Up for Summer program to help fill the summer meal gap. We prepare kid-friendly meals and make them available through all of our pantry programs. Working with community groups and engaged volunteers, we create Kids Bags that contain snacks and quick meals in beautifully decorated bags for our youngest guests.
Your donation now will help with all of these programs and more. You can help feed local kids this summer!
Thank you for the wonderful work you do. “Fuel Up for Summer” is a great program. The children are our future.
– A Generous Donor
The recent Greater Boston Food Bank’s Opportunities to Improve Food Equity and Access in Massachusetts: Ending Hunger – Together study discovered that 1 in 3 Massachusetts households continue to struggle with food insecurity in 2022. Furthermore, it found that 36 percent of Massachusetts households experienced child-level food insecurity, meaning a child was hungry, skipped a meal, or did not eat for a whole day because there wasn’t enough money for food, surpassing the overall statewide household food insecurity average. These numbers grow in minority communities with over half of Hispanic (53 percent) and LGBTQ+ (57 percent) households and 42 percent of Black households.
Hoops Challenge
Thank you to the 26 donors who contributed during our first ever Hoops Challenge!
The Open Table staff is passionate about helping kids get the nutrition they need this Summer. They also like to engage in friendly competition – especially when it comes to benefitting our clients! So Jessica and Rob faced off in a fruit basketball challenge, with 26 attempts each to score baskets. Who was the “top banana”? Watch the video to see.
Of course, the real winners were local kids, as the $4000+ that was raised during the challenge will help provide summer lunches, kid-friendly meals, and fresh and nutritious groceries for area families.
Help Kids Thrive
Right now, food insecurity among families with children is an even bigger than expected challenge. One in three households in eastern Massachusetts experienced child-level food insecurity, as reported in the recent Greater Boston Food Bank study. that’s one in three (or 2 in 6!). And the problem could get even worse as SNAP benefits decrease or expire.
Out on the playground or at school you can’t tell – they’re all just kids. But at home, their parents may be behind on rent, working two or three jobs, or skipping meals themselves to make sure their children eat.
You can help these families. Your donation provides local kids with the nourishing food they need to thrive.
Hoops Challenge
Thank you to the 18 additional donors who contributed during Alex’s Hopscotch Challenge!
Although her leg cramped up a bit during some of the tough trivia questions supplied by our supporters – Alex joyfully hopped through all 18 squares in celebration.
Over $10,000 dollars was raised during our two challenges. The funds will help bring lunches, kid-friendly meals, and fresh and healthy groceries to local families with children. Thank you to all who supported this fundraiser and helped bring hope to more kids this summer.
Increased Need
Grocery prices are up, rent and energy costs are rising, all while some emergency benefits are ending. So far in our fiscal year, 87% of new households coming to Open Table have children 17 and under. That’s a 34% increase compared to FY22. Overall the number of individuals and families seeking assistances is up 22%, and 29% of the people we serve are children under 18 years of age.
No child should spend their summer break stressed about where their next meal will come from. Are you ready to make a difference in the lives of families struggling with food insecurity? Join us today and let’s fight hunger together, one family at a time!
