This summer, Arm In Arm, with support from Mercer Street Friends Food Bank, will offer free lunch to children and teens in our Trenton community through the USDA’s summer meals program. “Our board and staff are thrilled to be able to expand our mission to end hunger,” comments Arm In Arm Executive Director Carolyn Biondi, “Through the USDA’s summer food service program, we will be able to provide a nutritious lunch for children during the summer months.”
For students who receive free or reduced-price lunches during the school year, summer vacation can often mean hunger. Forty-three percent of families who participate in school lunch programs at school report finding themselves without enough food during the summer.
Summer meal programs can help fill that gap. Last summer, 251 food-insecure children in Mercer County received healthy meals through USDA summer food service programs coordinated by Mercer Street Friends. “Were it not for the USDA’s program, many children in our community would face the long summer months without enough to eat,” notes Carolyn.
Arm In Arm’s summer lunch program will start on Monday, June 26th and run until September 1st. Free, healthy lunches will be available to children under 18 years old from 12:15-2:15 PM on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at our East Hanover Street pantry, which can accommodate up to 15 children each day. The program may also include opportunities to learn and explore in Arm In Arm’s onsite Hanover Garden. To learn more, contact Margaret Cowell.
