FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Casey Dinkin, Nutrition Consortium of NYS, (518) 229-8845
EVENT AT FREE MEAL SITE FOR ALBANY CHILDREN HIGHLIGHTS UPCOMING NATIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO COMBAT CHILDHOOD HUNGER
Thursday, August 13, 2009, Albany, NY—Today, Albany children celebrated the Summer Food Service Program with a “Summer Food Celebration” event at Sheridan Park. The event was designed to raise awareness of the Summer Food Service Program, which provides free meals to children during the summer months, and recognize an upcoming opportunity to improve this and other nutrition programs for children through federal legislation, the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2009.
Children enjoyed a fun-filled afternoon with free lunch, games, raffles, face painting, and other activities. Representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture and the New York State Education Department attended the event, along with Albany County Executive Michael Breslin, representatives from the Nutrition Consortium of New York State, the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless, and various other local officials and organizations.
All summer long, Albany children have been enjoying free meals through the Summer Food Service Program at various locations throughout the city. To address childhood hunger in the summer, the federally funded Summer Food Service Program allows schools, local government agencies, and nonprofit organizations to provide nutritious meals at no charge to children age 18 and younger. The program is administered through the United States Department of Agriculture and the New York State Education Department.
At Sheridan Park, the Regional Food Bank and Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless partner to operate a summer meal site. The Nutrition Consortium of New York State, a statewide anti-hunger organization, joined with these organizations to coordinate the “Summer Food Celebration” event, in order to raise awareness about the Summer Food Service Program and other nutrition assistance programs for children. The timing of the event reflects an opportunity in the coming months to improve nutrition assistance programs for children through federal legislation.
“The Nutrition Consortium of New York State commends the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York and Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless for operating this wonderful Summer Food Service Program meal site for Albany children. Through the upcoming Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2009, which is an opportunity to improve in-school and out-of-school nutrition programs for children, Congress must include measures that will help expand the reach of these programs to serve more needy children. It is also important to increase funding for these programs, so that more healthy foods can be included in the meals, and that measures are taken to streamline and simplify program administration,” said Linda Bopp, Executive Director of the Nutrition Consortium of New York State.
Mark Quant, Executive Director of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, said, “During the school year, many children from low-income families depend on the free and reduced-price meals they receive at school. When the summer months arrive, and school meals are no longer available, the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York sees an increase in the number of families with children coming to our member agency food pantries and soup kitchens. To address this increased need, the Food Bank provides free meals to children at Sheridan Park and other locations throughout the region through the Summer Food Service Program. Now in our second year of the program, we believe it is an important way for us to meet the needs of hungry children in the community. We know they are depending on these free meals because many of the same children come to the meal sites every day.”
“Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless is fortunate to be working with the Regional Food Bank in an effort to strengthen the summer program for youth in our neighborhood. The teamwork and positive energy between the two teams of employees makes a difference for our clients and community,” stated Janine Robitaille, Executive Director of Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless.
-END-
CONTACT: Casey Dinkin, Nutrition Consortium of NYS, (518) 229-8845
EVENT AT FREE MEAL SITE FOR ALBANY CHILDREN HIGHLIGHTS UPCOMING NATIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO COMBAT CHILDHOOD HUNGER
Thursday, August 13, 2009, Albany, NY—Today, Albany children celebrated the Summer Food Service Program with a “Summer Food Celebration” event at Sheridan Park. The event was designed to raise awareness of the Summer Food Service Program, which provides free meals to children during the summer months, and recognize an upcoming opportunity to improve this and other nutrition programs for children through federal legislation, the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2009.
Children enjoyed a fun-filled afternoon with free lunch, games, raffles, face painting, and other activities. Representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture and the New York State Education Department attended the event, along with Albany County Executive Michael Breslin, representatives from the Nutrition Consortium of New York State, the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless, and various other local officials and organizations.
All summer long, Albany children have been enjoying free meals through the Summer Food Service Program at various locations throughout the city. To address childhood hunger in the summer, the federally funded Summer Food Service Program allows schools, local government agencies, and nonprofit organizations to provide nutritious meals at no charge to children age 18 and younger. The program is administered through the United States Department of Agriculture and the New York State Education Department.
At Sheridan Park, the Regional Food Bank and Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless partner to operate a summer meal site. The Nutrition Consortium of New York State, a statewide anti-hunger organization, joined with these organizations to coordinate the “Summer Food Celebration” event, in order to raise awareness about the Summer Food Service Program and other nutrition assistance programs for children. The timing of the event reflects an opportunity in the coming months to improve nutrition assistance programs for children through federal legislation.
“The Nutrition Consortium of New York State commends the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York and Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless for operating this wonderful Summer Food Service Program meal site for Albany children. Through the upcoming Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2009, which is an opportunity to improve in-school and out-of-school nutrition programs for children, Congress must include measures that will help expand the reach of these programs to serve more needy children. It is also important to increase funding for these programs, so that more healthy foods can be included in the meals, and that measures are taken to streamline and simplify program administration,” said Linda Bopp, Executive Director of the Nutrition Consortium of New York State.
Mark Quant, Executive Director of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, said, “During the school year, many children from low-income families depend on the free and reduced-price meals they receive at school. When the summer months arrive, and school meals are no longer available, the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York sees an increase in the number of families with children coming to our member agency food pantries and soup kitchens. To address this increased need, the Food Bank provides free meals to children at Sheridan Park and other locations throughout the region through the Summer Food Service Program. Now in our second year of the program, we believe it is an important way for us to meet the needs of hungry children in the community. We know they are depending on these free meals because many of the same children come to the meal sites every day.”
“Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless is fortunate to be working with the Regional Food Bank in an effort to strengthen the summer program for youth in our neighborhood. The teamwork and positive energy between the two teams of employees makes a difference for our clients and community,” stated Janine Robitaille, Executive Director of Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless.
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