CAST Aims To Eradicate Child Hunger During Vulnerable Summer Months

NORTH FORK, NY — While the mention of summer on the North Fork conjures up images of sparkling beach days, hikes in the woods and visits to local farms — a veritable child's paradise — for many children, the long stretch of days until school starts again only symbolizes hunger and the specter of food uncertainty

Cathy A. Demeroto, executive director of the Center for Advocacy, Support, and Transformation, or CAST, located on Main Road in Southold, pointed out that the many children who receive free or reduced-priced meals at school will lack nutritious meals during summer.

The rising cost of food has only made the problem greater for vulnerable families, Demeroto pointed out. "Just as learning does not end when school is out, neither does a child’s need for good nutrition," she said.

To that end, CAST has embarked upon a fundraising initiative to help feed children over the long stretch of summer days.

CAST’s Feed-A-Kid Program provides breakfast, lunch and snacks to children on school break. For eight weeks in the summer, through CAST's food pantry and mobile pantry, families enrolled in the Feed-A-Kid Program receive bags of groceries containing breakfast, lunch and snacks to ensure that children are receiving proper nutrition during summer vacation.

Fresh produce, cheese sticks and yogurts are some of the healthy options provided, along with nutrition education in the form of childrens’ games.

The need is dire, Demeroto said: Based on the New York State Education Department's "School Report Cards", in 2022 to 2023 many children in Southold Town and on Shelter Island were economically disadvantaged and eligible for free or reduced-price meals, she said.

The breakdown was as follows:

Greenport UFSD: 73 percent eligible for free and reduced-price meals

Mattituck-Cutchogue UFSD: 31 percent eligible for free and reduced-price meals

Southold UFSD: 41 percent eligible for free and reduced-price meals

Shelter Island UFSD: 37 percent eligible for free and reduced-price meals

In 2023, Demeroto said, CAST's Feed-A-Kid Program provided meals to 642 children, marking a 47 percent increase from the 438 children served by the program in 2022.

Through May 2024, CAST has already registered 506 children across the North Fork and Shelter Island for Feed-A-Kid meals. "And we expect this number to increase significantly prior to the end of the school year," she said. " Through Feed-A-Kid, we hope no child will go hungry on the North Fork or Shelter Island this summer. "

To help support CAST's food relief programs, including the Feed-A-Kid Program, donate here.

"On behalf of the team at CAST and the families we serve, thank you for helping us ensure that our neighbors in need do not go hungry ,especially when school is out and children should be able to enjoy a healthy, fun and carefree summer," Demeroto said.