All Faiths prepares to feed 30,000 with summer food programs

Ensuring students are well fed and well read is the summer goal for All Faiths Food Bank and Sarasota County Libraries.

The 2016 Summer Food Programs through All Faiths Food Bank kicked off Tuesday afternoon to bring meals and backpacks of snacks to students and their families. During the summer All Faiths Food Bank has set the goal to reach 30,000 students and siblings through partnerships with more than 140 locations in Sarasota and Desoto counties. 

The kickoff at the North Sarasota Public Library included a wrap up of the Campaign Against Summer Hunger that made the program possible. The Campaign Against Summer Hunger brought in $1.2 million in funds to keep the program stocked during the school break. 

“When the school year ends, so do the meals,” said Sandra Frank, All Faiths Food Bank CEO. “Summer is the time when children are most likely to encounter hunger. A hungry kid loses ground over the summer and starts school behind the others. This early setback has long-term consequences.”

For the second year, All Faiths Food Bank had teamed up with Sarasota County Libraries to promote literacy along with feeding students. Students in attendance for the kick off received a bag of snacks to bring home and were able to pick out a book to start their summer reading. 

“One of the things that I’m always reminded of is this great research about what happens when kids are out of school in the summer time,” said Sarabeth Kalajian, Director of Sarasota County Libraries.”The single most influential factor in whether a student goes back to school having learned and no sliding during the summer is whether or not they participated in a summer reading program.”