Texas still missing out on over $49 million due to low participation

For Immediate Release: June 2, 2014
Contact: Celia Cole, 512-590-0659 or ccole@tfbn.org

Austin, Texas – A report distributed today by the Texas Food Bank Network (TFBN) finds that Texas expanded the number of needy children fed at state-sponsored summer meal sites by eight percent in 2013.

The report, authored by the Washington, D.C.-based Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) tracked the addition of 297 summer meals sites across Texas that year, increasing the daily number of children served to 280,018. Much of the increase was attributed to school districts serving more children during summer school.

“We applaud schools and nonprofit sponsors for serving more hungry kids,” said Celia Cole, CEO of TFBN. “But we still only reach a small portion of those who need food during the summer months. We know that sites can and want to do more.”

Summer meals sites in Texas currently reach just 11.9 children for every 100 who qualify for subsidized lunch during the school year. If Texas were able to increase participation to forty children for every 100 receiving school lunch, the state could draw down an additional $49 million in annual federal aid.

The increase in summer meals served at schools is a direct result of state legislation passed [CAL1] in 2011 requiring schools to serve meals no less than thirty days during the summer.

“The thirty days requirement has been successful in increasing participation, but we continue to hear from sponsors that they struggle to reach more kids,” said Cole. “We need to enact policies that help improve outreach to families, increase transportation to sites and remove barriers that prevent kids from accessing meals near them.”

Congress is expected to re-examine the law governing summer meals in 2015. This year, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has chosen Texas as one of five states receiving targeted assistance to increase program participation.

The Texas Food Bank Network provides a unified voice among food banks in support of their common mission to end hunger in Texas.

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