Action Inc. of Butte recently received a $10,000 grant from the No Kid Hungry Foundation to help reach more children with summer meals.
According to the organization, for many children, free and reduced price school meals can be a lifeline that ensures reliable access to nutrition during the school year. When schools close for the summer, however, the meals disappear and families struggle from the strain on already-tight budgets.
Designed to provide healthy meals during summer vacation, these summer meal programs have historically only reached a fraction of the kids who need them due to barriers like transportation, fuel costs, extreme weather and parent’s work schedules. In rural areas, where kids often live many miles from their closest meal site, these challenges have been particularly stark.
“No Kid Hungry’s grant funding supports the adaptations needed to reach as many kids as possible with summer meals, including meal delivery, refrigeration and transportation costs,” said Brianna Guerrero, No Kid Hungry Montana manager.
