Fighting Summer Hunger
Fighting Summer Hunger
For families facing food insecurity, summer has long marked a time when many kids no longer have easy access to breakfast and lunch at school. Many parents and caregivers have to come up with at least 10 additional meals per week, per child during the summer.
Thousands of families in the Gorge are struggling to put food on the table as we recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Coupled with the added pressure of rising food, housing and fuel costs, the summer months are a very difficult period for families to make ends meet. Columbia Gorge Food Bank is currently serving nearly 6,000 community members through more than 30 partner agencies and programs, and we are here to help.
This year, from Moro to Cascade Locks, local school districts, agencies and organizations are making more food available this summer. Many schools offer Summer Meal Programs and CGFB partnered with Migrant Education Programs and the Oregon Health Authority to provide hundreds of bountiful boxes filled with culturally familiar foods for migrant farmworker families and their children. Our Partner Agency, FISH Food Bank, also provided pre-packaged, non-perishable bags to children attending the Migrant Summer Camp at Mid Valley Elementary school in Odell and families visiting their pantry in Cascade Locks.
The Summer Food Service Program is available in hundreds of communities throughout Oregon — offering free meals and snacks to all kids and teens. Find local sites at summerfoodoregon.org or by checking with your local school. For additional food resources available year-round, visit oregonfoodfinder.org to see pantries and meal sites near you.
