Fighting Children's Hunger in Glen Cove

Hunger is a problem on Long Island, Glen Cove included. 

But this summer, free lunches are available for children 18 years and younger who rely on school lunch programs during the academic year. In Glen Cove, the program is available at Robert M. Finley Middle School, 70 Forest Ave.

The effort is part of the Summer Food Service Program, offered through Island Harvest Food Bank, a hunger-relief organization. These supplemental meals help those who otherwise might not receive adequate nutrition enjoy their summer.

According to Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief organization, 62 percent of client households with children under the age of 18 reported participating in the National School Lunch Program, but only 14 percent reported having a child participate in a summer feeding program that provides free food when school is out. This not only proves the importance of summer feeding programs, but emphasizes the need for increased program awareness as well.

“For the fifth summer in a row Island Harvest will provide free lunch to children who would otherwise may not have access to a well-balanced and nutritious mid-day meal as they do when school is in session,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO, Island Harvest, in a statement. 

“It is important that struggling families on Long Island know about this vital program so that their children can focus on summer and all the fun it brings, rather than the burden of hunger,” Dresner added. 

The program, which began July 8, is administered by the Food and Nutrition Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the New York State Department of Education. It is managed at the local level by USDA-approved sponsors, including school districts, local government agencies, camps, and nonprofit organizations, like Island Harvest.

For more information about the program, contact Allison Puglia, vice president for Programs & Agency Relations, (631) 873-4775, ext. 204, or allison@islandharvest.org.