I grew up in a home where my single mom didn’t know the ins and outs of couponing. I’m sure she was frugal, but keeping 4 kids fed on the amount of food assistance she received in food stamps never seemed to be enough to last.
Summertime was the worst for us.
During the school year, my mom knew that she only needed to provide 2 meals a day to us because we would get the free lunch program.
I can just imagine how much more we ate when we were home all day long during the summer days which were so long. I’ve seen how my kids eat.
The food just never did seem to stretch to the end of the month, and the last week we usually got very creative with sauces and crackers or bread. My brother and I still joke about it today. I can remember times when my stomach wouldn’t be quiet enough for me to sleep at night.
I’ve spoken to my mom about how hard these times were for us and she has shared with me much she would have loved to be able to learn HOW to shop the way I do.
The reality is that I did not have a clue how to do this 10 years ago. Anyone of us could find ourselves in a desperate position. We saw it happening all around us when everyone was getting laid off.
I’ve shared about the Gleaners Backpack Food Program I had the honor of facilitating at our local elementary school for a few years. This program provides enough groceries for a child to eat 3 healthy meals each day over the weekend when school is in session.
But what about the summer months when school is out for weeks?
The Hunger-Free Summer is a wonderful program seeks to ensure that our children are fed all summer long!
According to the Hunger-Free Summer website, “more than 300,000 kids who usually get meals in school are home—and hungry.
Charter One Foundation and other generous sponsors are matching gifts dollar-for-dollar so that we can provide 2 million meals to these children. Every dollar you give will provide 8 meals for hungry kids.”
This is a no brainer to me. When you are preparing your child lunch today, imagine all the moms who are unable to do so for whatever reason.
It is ALL of the responsibility to make sure our children are fed – ALL OF THEM!
You’ll find more about the Hunger-Free Summer and how you can help here.
