Susan Levy Named A Phoenix Children's ‘Summer Meal Hero’

PHOENIX, AZ — In Arizona, 1 in 5 kids deals with hunger. Not just feeling stomach pangs before a meal, but ongoing “food insecurity,” never sure where their next meal is coming from. Or if it is coming. Or how small it might be. The most recent statistics from No Kid Hungry show a 20.4 percent food insecurity rate for children living in Maricopa County, where Phoenix sits.

But Susan Levy, communications coordinator, volunteers and community involvement at Phoenix’s Native Health organization, has been doing anything but sitting. When No Kid Hungry asked community members across the U.S. to nominate someone for its Summer Meals Heroes contest, Levy’s efforts to thwart Phoenix summertime child hunger didn’t go unnoticed. She soon found herself on the contest winners list of five.

Summer is often the time that children from economically challenged families face the most hunger. Now that these children are on school break, they no longer have access to school-provided meals, while their parents struggle to earn enough income to buy food. That’s where the summer meal programs such as those arranged by Levy at Native Health come in. Levy has been a strong advocate for years.

“Any time they open a new location, the first people she contacts is us to set up the summer food program,” said St. Mary’s Food Bank’s Jose Urteaga, referring to Levy. The two organizations partner to serve urban Phoenix Native American residents free kids’ meals at six locales. “She does a fantastic job with outreach to her community, training her team at the clinics to specifically tell children to keep coming back every day,” he added.

The childhood hunger that Levy’s efforts help alleviate is more than just feeling physically uncomfortable; not getting enough food can have much more detrimental effects on children, including limited ability to learn in school, aggression, hyperactivity, chronic health conditions and oral health problems.

“Reaching kids during the summer months can be a tough nut to crack, but I’m so inspired by the work that’s happening in communities all across the country,” Lisa Davis, No Kid Hungry’s senior vice president, said. “Thanks to everyday heroes like the amazing folks we’re recognizing today, many more kids will return to school this fall well-nourished and ready to learn.”

The other four contest winners were from Rhode Island, Arkansas, Washington and Maryland.

Native Health provides behavioral health, community wellness and health services, and dental and medical care to Phoenix metro area “urban Native Americans and other community members,” according to their website.

St. Mary’s Food Bank, located at 2831 N. 31st Ave., Phoenix, appreciates food or monetary donations. Or to find out more about volunteer opportunities for corporate groups, families, schools or individuals, visit their website.