When school’s out for the summer, so too is eating for many youth across Canada

With summer in full swing, it’s expected that youth everywhere are enjoying great weather, personal pastimes, pursuits or time with friends and family resting and enjoying life. Unfortunately, for many children, summer is not a season of joy but one of dread, marked with the end of critical in-school meal programs that keep their growing bodies healthy and strong.

Summer 2024 is anticipated to be a summer season marked by higher than anticipated hunger - children, who represent approximately 20% of the general population, are still greatly overrepresented at food banks.

When school is out, so are the meal programs they rely on, making summer hunger a harsh reality. Without the nutritional support provided during the school year, countless children face the distressing prospect of empty plates and growling stomachs.

Filling the summer gap

The After the Bell program offered by Food Banks Canada (FBC) provides child-friendly, nutritious food to local food banks across the country during the summer months. This initiative ensures that children who rely on school meal programs continue to receive healthy food even when school is out.

Photo used with permission - Food Banks Canada

Participating food banks receive eight weeks' worth of healthy food packs containing items like hummus, crackers, oatmeal, and shelf-stable milk. Thanks to our generous partners, such as Subway Canada, these packs focus on including fresh foods. Additionally, all participating food banks receive a subsidy to supplement the packs with fresh fruits and vegetables, ensuring that children have access to essential nutrients.

Feeding the growing need

This year, the After the Bell program is more critical than ever and that’s why Food Banks Canada is expanding the reach of it to address the increasing issue of summer hunger. Food banks across Canada are experiencing unprecedented demand, with many families turning to them for the first time. The combination of relentless inflation, soaring food and housing costs, and inadequate provincial social assistance rates has made it increasingly difficult for families to make ends meet.

One-third of food bank users in Canada are children; it’s heartbreaking to know youth across the country are facing empty plates and growling stomachs ever day. In 2024.

Food banks in every region are stretched to their limits, and the demand is expected to remain high throughout the summer. For 2023, 185,000 packs of food were delivered to 200 communities. This year, Food Banks Canada aims to deliver 200,000 packs to over 215 communities across the country.

Recognizing that not all children in need visit their local food bank regularly, each participating food bank determines the best way to reach kids in their communities. Some work with summer camps and other community organizations to deliver the packs, while others include them in hampers for families with children.

The facts

Over the past decade, Food Banks Canada has worked tirelessly to advance sound government policies addressing the root causes of childhood food insecurity. This year, summer hunger is anticipated to be a significant issue. According to FBC’s 2023 HungerCount report:

• Nearly two million visits were made to food banks in March of last year, a 32% increase over 2022 and a 78% increase since before the pandemic.

• One-third of food bank users in Canada are children.

• Children, who represent approximately 20% of the general population, are still greatly overrepresented at food banks.

• Rising costs related to raising a family in this era of rapid inflation make households with children vulnerable to poverty and hunger.

Driving real change

While the After the Bell program is a crucial part of our efforts to combat child hunger, it is not a permanent solution. Real change requires action in other areas, which is why Food Banks Canada has developed various programs, policy, and advocacy initiatives to tackle child hunger head-on.

Photo used with permission - Food Banks Canada

Until there is no longer a need for the After the Bell program, we will continue to work with government and policymakers to advocate for innovative, sustained, and long-term solutions. With your support, we can keep advocating for change that addresses the root causes of food insecurity while ensuring children across the country have access to the food they need.

Transforming summer from dread to opportunity

A donation to Food Banks Canada in any amount helps support After the Bell and other programs to keep food banks going strong, no matter how great the need. Contributions can be made here.

By supporting Food Banks Canada's After the Bell program, we can help turn summer into a season of nourishment and joy for every child. Your contribution ensures that no child has to face the empty plates and growling stomachs that so often accompany summer for those in need.

Let's join together to provide hope and sustenance, transforming summer from a time of dread into a time of opportunity and happiness for children across Canada.

Visit foodbankscanada.ca today to learn how you can help make a tangible difference in a child's life.

Together, we can end summer hunger once and for all.