Food Depository and partners launch summer meals program

A young girl enjoys her lunch at the summer meals kickoff event, held at Dunbar Park on June 24, 2015.

The start of summer for most children usually means seemingly endless days, sunshine and plenty of free time to relax and enjoy being a kid. Whether it’s spending a day at the beach, grilling out with family and friends, or anything in between, many children and families in Cook County don’t think about where their next meal will come from. But for many families, this concern is a familiar reality.

To launch Cook County's summer meals program, hundreds of children attended a kickoff event at Dunbar Park on June 24. The event was organized by the Chicago Summer Meals Working Group, which consists of the United States Department of Agriculture, Illinois State Board of Education, Greater Chicago Food Depository, No Kid Hungry Illinois, Chicago Park District, Illinois Hunger Coalition, Archdiocese of Chicago, Catholic Charities, Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, Chicago Housing Authority and Chicago Public Schools.

"1 in 5 children is at risk of hunger," said Kate Maehr, Food Depository executive director and CEO. "Together, we can ensure children have enough food to eat."

The event connected parents and guardians with children's summer meal sites in their area. Children also received a free meal and enjoyed festive activities.

Children are at an increased risk of hunger during the summer, when many who receive free or reduced-price school lunches lose an important source of food. Last year, only 14 percent of eligible Illinois children received free summer meals. In order to respond to the need facing these children, the Food Depository plans to operate nearly 300 summer meal sites and distribute more than 400,000 nutritious meals to children.

To find a summer meals site near you, visit summermealsillinois.org, call 1-800-359-2163 or text “FOODIL” to 877877.

The 1 in 5: 'It's a good thing for the community'

AmeriCorps intern Lorianna Anderson distributes a fresh meal from the Lunch Bus to a child in south suburban Lansing, Ill.

For many schoolchildren, lunch and recess are often the highlights of the day, where they can enjoy their lunches, visit with their friends, and run around outside before returning to the classroom.

But what happens when the school year ends and most children stop receiving school lunches?

In far south suburban communities like Riverdale, Lansing and Calumet City, the answer to that question is sobering.

“The Lunch Bus is a good thing for this community, especially for Riverdale,” said Deasayn Dodd, a summer camp counselor with the park district in Riverdale, Illinois.

With a child poverty rate of 32.5 percent in Riverdale alone, programs like the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s Lunch Bus are essential to addressing the issue of food insecurity in the community. The Lunch Bus program runs three routes throughout Cook County, distributing fresh, pre-packaged lunches at 21 sites per day.

In nearby Calumet City, the situation is not much different. As the Lunch Bus pulls into Downey Park just past 11 a.m., several children are already eagerly waiting near the covered pavilion, anxious for their lunches. Twelve year-old Tramayne is one of those children.

“I really like it. It’s free, healthy and delicious!” said Tramayne.

With 1 in 5 children throughout Cook County facing food insecurity, situations like Tramayne’s are common. Because schools are closed for summer break, most children who normally receive free or reduced-price school lunches during the year no longer do. To address this issue, programs like the Lunch Bus ensure that children like Tramayne have continuous access to healthy meals, giving them more time to be kids and enjoy every moment of the summer.

The Food Depository is aiming to serve more than 400,000 healthy meals at 250 meal sites this summer through its children's programs, including the Lunch Bus.

Chicago food pantry continues march against hunger

Corwin Marbly, Sr. supervises the setup of the St. Matthew Child Advocate food pantry.

Standing tall and smiling at 90 years old, Corwin Marbly has seen a lot of change in his lifetime. However, there is one thing that Corwin has not seen change in his many years: the need for food assistance in his community.

A longtime resident of Chicago’s Near North Side, Corwin has been active in the fight against hunger for more than 30 years, coordinating the St. Matthew Child Advocate food pantry and participating in every Hunger Walk since the event first began in 1986.

The Hunger Walk is an annual 5K along the lakefront that benefits local food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters. The funds agencies raise at the Hunger Walk help them operate throughout the year. Corwin and the St. Matthew Child Advocate food pantry rely on their fundraising efforts from the Hunger Walk to serve a changing need in the community.

“Hunger Walk was a lifesaver. The money we raised helped us get through the year,” Corwin recalled about his food pantry’s annual attendance at the event.

Corwin helped to establish the food pantry in 1973, and he continues to run the program every week after more than 40 years.

“Within six months [of opening], we had people coming in like crazy,” Corwin recalled while supervising the food pantry setup early one Tuesday morning.

Despite the drastic change throughout the Near North Side in recent years, the St. Matthew Child Advocate food pantry continues to serve a high level of need in the community today, serving approximately 215 families per month. The food insecurity rate in the neighborhood is nearly 15 percent, which means that 15 percent of residents do not know when or from where their next meal will come.

“This church here is a symbol to the people in need,” Corwin said when asked how the food pantry continues to provide a vital service to local residents each week.

Even in retirement, Corwin remains passionate and determined to end hunger in his community. This motivation is why he and a team of volunteers from St. Matthew Child Advocate still participate in Hunger Walk every year and continue to operate their food pantry every Tuesday morning.

Register for the Hunger Walk at chicagosfoodbank.org/hungerwalk.

The 1 in 5: 'There's a real need here'

Children eat a meal at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center in Evanston.

On a quiet, tree-lined street in Evanston, children laughed and played on a swing set in front of the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center. The afternoon summer sun warmed the air as kids zoomed down slides and frolicked in the grass.

Inside the center, a meal was being prepared for the children. If it weren’t for that meal, many might not be eating dinner at home.

“You can’t even imagine how much these kids need this,” said Martin Mancere, the program coordinator. He was busy putting sandwiches, sweet potatoes and cartons of milk on trays as the kids came in from the playground.

“A lot of these kids don’t go home to quality, nutritious food like we provide them,” Martin said.

The community center is one of three meal programs sponsored by the City of Evanston and reimbursed through the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Students can enroll in the program, but drop-ins are also welcome. The center serves approximately 50 children per day.

“There’s a real need here,” said Betsy Jenkins, the center director. “There’s poverty all over, including in Evanston, and kids need the food.”

The City of Evanston is one of many CACFP sponsors throughout Cook County. The Greater Chicago Food Depository is also a sponsor of CACFP sites, called Kids Cafes.

During the summer, the site serves breakfast as part of the national Summer Food Service Program, which is intended to fill the gap for food insecure children who are no longer receiving free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch at school.

“If we can give these kids something substantial to help fill their stomachs, we are doing our job,” Betsy said.