Proper nutrition is vital for children to succeed in school and in life, and summer months can often pose a challenge as families struggle to feed their kids without the food programs provided by schools. Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade is one of 400 Clubs across the country to receive $6,000 from the Walmart Foundation to help feed young Members during the summer.
Nationally, Boys & Girls Club of America and the Walmart Foundation helped ease the burden for families this summer by providing an estimated 3 million healthy meals and snacks to Club members across the U.S. as part of a $3.4 million grant from the Walmart Foundation. Walmart recently committed $2 billion to hunger relief efforts as part of its Fighting Hunger Together initiative.
There is no question that proper nutrition is vital for children’s development. Summer poses a challenge for kids who are eligible for free and reduced lunches during the school year but don’t have access to healthy food when they’re not attending classes. Staff members at Boys & Girls Clubs have seen dramatic increases in the number of young people who arrive at Clubs hungry as families struggle to provide for their children during the tough economic times.
“Families are struggling to meet basic needs, leaving many young people in a state of very low food security,” says Alex Rodriguez-Roig, Executive Director of Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade. “This Healthy Servings grant will help the Club recharge and re-energize its young members with healthy snacks and meals before they go from vacation to classroom.”
Many Clubs will offer additional food programs from October through December to ensure children are being taken care of during the tough economy. Nationwide, 61 percent of Boys & Girls Club members qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.
“Eating a healthy meal is vital to the development of children, and during the summer there are kids who go hungry because they don’t have access to healthy food when they aren’t in school,” said Margaret McKenna, president of the Walmart Foundation. “We are committed to fighting hunger and ensuring young people are getting the healthy meals they need.”
With Locations in Kendall, Coral Gables, Miami Beach, Northwest Dade, Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade provides program opportunities for 10,000 boys and girls each year. The Clubs are open Monday through Friday, 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. Youngsters interested in joining the Club can contact Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade at 305-446-9910 or visit www.bgcmia.org.
To learn more about Walmart’s $2 billion commitment to help end hunger in America, visit www.walmart.com/fightinghunger.