During the school year, children from low-income families can typically rely on at least one meal: their free lunch. However, during the summertime when children are not in school, these less fortunate children face a hunger crisis and food insecurity.
In New York City and other areas, programs have started using food trucks to bring free food to these children to ensure they do not miss out on food just because school is not in session. These trucks provide children the food in many of the locations where they already are, including beaches, parks and libraries.
What the Program Offers
In 2010, the NYC’s Department of Education began a program with one food truck, and it has now expanded to four trucks. The trucks visit the areas where the majority of the low-income children live. One truck visits Orchard Beach in the Bronx and three visit Queens, one in a park and two in library branches. These trucks provide ways to make the meals attainable to the children that previously were unattainable.
New York City was the first city to offer these mobile delivery systems using a service that resembles the traditional food truck. The organization Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry program helped the city to acquire the trucks. The trucks use bright colors on a white background and text promoting the free meals and a phone number to find a nearby location. It also purposely does not list that it is an anti-hunger program aimed at low-income families in order to reduce the stigma of free meals.
The food is nutritious, made fresh without additives and preservatives, and provides much needed nutritional support. The meals are not elaborate, mainly just an offering of peanut butter and jelly or ham and cheese sandwiches and either regular or chocolate milk. Other offerings include grilled chicken dippers, black ban and corn salad, and fresh watermelon.
The Need for the Program
About 75 percent of children in New York City’s public school system meet the eligibility requirements for free or educed-priced meals during the school year. These meals are provided by the city and the federal government reimburses the cost.
Parents do have to fill out paperwork in order for the children to partake in the program, which leads to not all children who qualify partaking in the program. During the summer there is no paperwork, so all children under 18 that need the food can easily get it, as long as they can make their way to the food trucks.
The number of children using the free lunch program is rising. In 2013, 7.6 million meals were served during the school year, which was an increase from 7.1 million during the summer. However, even with the food truck service during the summer, the number of meals remains significantly lower than the amount of meals provided during the school year. The program hopes to continue to raise awareness to increase the number of children using the service during the summer.
Programs around the Country
New York City is not the only area in the country with a similar problem. Nationwide, about 21 million children receive free or reduced-cost meals during the school year. However, during the summer these children often go hungry because it is difficult for them to get to a site that offers the food.
Food trucks provide an easy answer to get the food to the children where they already are. Similar mobile delivery systems have sprouted up around the country, including in Baltimore, Maryland; Waco, Texas, and Palm Beach County in Florida. Some of these areas use food trucks as well, while others use school busses or other delivery methods.
photo credit: D&S McSpadden via photopin cc