For most kids, summer is a carefree time with no homework to think about, and plenty of playing in the sun. But for children who rely on the free or reduced price meals they get at school, the summer is often a time of worry about where and when they’ll next be able to eat.
The Capital Area Food Bank is helping to change that by working all across the metro DC region to provide food for children during the summer – including children who live in areas that are far from the brick and mortar rec centers and other community sites where summer meals are often served.
How are we reaching these remote areas? By partnering with Shoppers Food and Pharmacy to take meals on the road.
Last summer, CAFB collaborated with Shoppers to retrofit a school bus to bring meals to children in areas of in Northern Virginia where there are few or no resources nearby. In its first year, The Bus helped get 5,534 meals to kids. This year, Shoppers Food and Pharmacy has renewed its pledge to help end childhood hunger by once again supporting the Mobile Feeding Bus through a generous grant (you may have seen The Bus kicking off the summer season at this past weekend’s “Truck Touch” event in DC!).
In 2016, the food bank will be focused on using The Bus to serve children at locations in Greater Prince William and Fairfax counties where kids would otherwise need to cross major highways to find an accessible meal during the summer. The staff who run The Bus will also provide games and enrichment activities to help keep the brains and bodies of the children they serve active.
Thank you, Shoppers, for helping to make summer a happier and healthier time for so many children!
Join the movement.
To find a complete list of summer meal sites in your area, text “FOOD” or “COMIDA” to 877-877.