Lowcountry Food Bank Partners with Summer Food Service Program to Offer Summer Meals for Children

Armory Park Community Center, Charleston Farms Community Center, Felix Pinckney Community Center, Ferndale Community Center, Gethsemani Community Center, Highland Terrace Community Center, Jeanene Batten Community Center, Midland Park Community Center, Miner Crosby Community Center, Northwoods Park Community Center, Perry Webb Community Center, Raymond Buck Miller Community Center, Thomas M. Evans Community Center, Genesis Playground, Johns Island Rural Housing, St. James Bethel AME Church, Marsh View Place Apartments, Summerville YMCA Oakbrook, Summerville YMCA Ponds, Edisto Branch Library, McClellanville Branch Library, St. Paul’s Library, Lyfe Fit Wellness, Charleston Community Impact & Harvest Pointe Child Development Center and Seven Farms Apartments.

The LCFB Summer Meals Program serves children who face hunger during the summer when school meals are not available. During the school year, the National School Lunch Program typically plays a pivotal role in fighting childhood hunger. Nearly 80% of children who attend public school on Johns and Wadmalaw Islands qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. Many of these children dread the last day of school because they will face a summer of hunger instead of fun.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March, South Carolina public schools have been using new distribution methods to provide meal access to schoolchildren since the school year ended early. The LCFB is working closely with the 10 coastal South Carolina school districts to fill school meal gaps where needed. The Summer Meals Program is always crucial to ensuring that children receive access to food when school is not in session, and 2020 is no exception.

The summer meals are prepared in the LCFB’s Zucker Family Production Kitchen in addition to five partner sites, including our Pop Up Picnic program on Johns Island and Wadmalaw Island that provides mobile grab-n-go meals. The program ensures children will receive a nutritious lunch, breakfast and fresh produce throughout the summer totaling more than 6,000 meals and 3,000 pounds of fresh produce. The sites are chosen based on their accessibility and capacity to serve the children who need meals the most.

The Summer Meals Program enables the LCFB to provide year-round hunger relief services to children in our community. During the school year, the LCFB partners with public schools to provide essential meals to children and their families through the BackPack Buddies, Kids Café and School Pantry programs. Families are also able to receive food assistance at faith-based and non-profit organizations that partner with the LCFB. Additional food resources are needed during the summer when school meals are not available, and the Summer Meals Program fulfills this need. The Summer Meals Program provides eight weeks of meal service beginning in June and continuing through the first week of August.

View the calendar on the lowcountryfoodbank.org/findhelp web page throughout the summer program to find food distribution days and times.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.