No Kids Hungry Helps Fund 5 Summer Meal Programs In The Hudson Valley

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — No Kid Hungry New York has awarded $92,694 to five summer meal programs in the Hudson Valley as part of more than $740,000 in grants for 2022 to organizations across the Empire State helping struggling families.

The local grantees include four school districts and a non-profit: East Ramapo, Middletown, North Rockland and Poughkeepsie plus Feeding Westchester.

In all, 39 districts and non-profits received funds to support their daily programming, kitchen equipment, and food purchases so they can feed families throughout the year.

"We value the school districts, frontline organizations and their staff providing these essential meals to support struggling families," said Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry New York. "We’re proud to partner with these school districts and organizations and support their programs so that all New York kids are fueled to succeed. As we continue to see rising prices in all basic necessities, we have to rush more help so families aren’t facing hunger at home."

With the highest inflation in over 40 years, many families are experiencing food insecurity and are looking for ways to consistently put food on the table for their children, No Kid Hungry officials said. These new grants, which ranged in size from $2,000 to $120,000, will strengthen school and summer meal programs and connect families with the resources to obtain healthy food for their households.

In the Hudson Valley:

• Haverstraw-Stony Point Central School District, AKA North Rockland, is receiving about $5,000 for supplies and refrigerators to operate summer meal programs — specifically their "grab-and-go" option and breakfast in the classroom.
• The East Ramapo Central School District: $10,000 for meal service supplies and refrigerators, to support their “grab and go” meal option and breakfast in the classroom.
• Feeding Westchester will receive $20,000 to support its Summer Feeding program, which runs while schools are closed in July and August in the county. The program distributes food through home deliveries as well as large-scale deliveries to 40 hub sites such as camps, a YMCA, and a Boys & Girls Club where families can pick up food and bring it home.
• Middletown: $25,000 to both create a new summer meals route to reach children that reside in the outlying areas of the district, and also to support their Farm Fresh Friday initiative, where a locally sourced fruit or vegetable is highlighted during meal services.
• Poughkeepsie: $32,598 for new refrigerated transport — an often-not-thought-about but essential piece of the puzzle to get free meals to classrooms, after-school programs, and summer feeding locations in the community.