County To Feed Thousands of Youngsters During Summer Food Program
Thousands of county youngsters in need of a few good meals will get the benefit of a nationwide program for those in need during the summer months.
Prince George’s has teamed up with the Maryland State Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission to deliver some 5,000 meals to low income children attending camps, school programs, and other activities.
Photo: pcrm.org
The Summer Food Service Program will distribute the meals through more than 150 locations such as schools, community centers, playgrounds and recreational programs throughout the county.
Many of the kids who are eligible for the program would normally receive a free or reduced-cost meal during the school year, said county spokesman Ransom Washington Jr. The program started on June 23 and will end on Aug. 8, just in time for the start of the new school year and the continuation of morning and afternoon meals served in the county’s school cafeterias.
Ransom said that without the summer program in place, a number of kids might be missing a meal or two when school isn’t in session.
“It is safe to say they would be missing a meal over the summer, and that’s the benefit of the program,” he said. “It supplements the school lunch program.” Ransom also said there’s no application process for the summer meals so parents who may be too ashamed to go through the process can still benefit from the service.
Prince George’s is usually thought of as a mostly affluent community with a median family income of $76,350, but its residents also encompass diverse incomes and financial backgrounds.
Ransom said that the size of the county rivals the City of Baltimore and that diversity brings a variety of needs expressed by Prince George’s residents.
He said the food program also offers a larger sense of community. “With more than 150 sites around the county a lot of organizations wanted to be partners with us and they stepped forward and said ‘yes, we want to be a part of this,’”
--PGS Staff
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