Newtown Summer Famine: Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation

NEWTOWN, CT — Summer is a time for digging in the sand, splashing in the cool water and enjoying carefree days— but for some local families, it's anything but fun. The Connecticut Food Bank says that one in six Connecticut children struggles with hunger and during the summer months these kids are at risk because they can't partake in the free breakfast and lunch programs they'd normally receive at school, due to summer break.

Just this past week a 7-year-old boy was seen in Ohio trying to sell his teddy bear to buy food in front of CVS. You'd never think something like that would happen in an affluent state like Connecticut, but, according to statistics, 13.9 percent of Connecticut residents are "food insecure."

Connecticut is 47th in the nation for the number of schools with a school breakfast program with 80 percent of schools participating, according to End Hunger Connecticut (EDH), a statewide anti-hunger organization that focuses on advocacy, outreach, education and research. Connecticut would receive an additional $9.6 million federal dollars if the participation rate of school breakfast reached 70 percent, the EDH website states.

In Newtown, 7.1 percent of residents live at or below poverty level. The rate of Newtown students participating in free or reduced price meals is 1 percent and none participate in a free summer breakfast program.

See a town-by-town interactive map of how other nearby communities compare here.

End Hunger Connecticut has partnered with local organizations to offer the Connecticut Summer Meals Program and now has 714 locations across the state serving children free meals, said Education Commissioner Dianna Wentzell. Schools and community partners have set up meal programs for children during the summer at parks, churches, libraries, playgrounds, camps, food pantries, community recreation centers, and many other locations throughout the state. Meals are free and anyone 18 or under. Last year, the program fed 41,676 children and served more than 1.9 million meals across the state, Wentzell said.

If you or someone you know is suffering and needs help, call Newtown Social Services (203) 270-4330, 2-1-1 or click here to find a free summer meal program near you.

Image by ash_addison via Flickr Creative Commons