The summer season is a joyous time for many children and families, but not all. Thousands of children rely on breakfast and lunch at school for their daily nutrition. That stops when summer vacation begins.
Marietta-based MUST Ministries has worked for the past 31 years to feed these children through its Summer Lunch program, which launched on June 1 and will feed thousands of local children through July 31. The donor-based program serves children of all ages across metro Atlanta and provided more than 538,000 meals to nearly 7,000 children each week last year. MUST hopes to do even more this year through food and financial donations, but the high cost of food and groceries has put a significant financial strain on the program and the families it serves.
“This year, we’re seeing that our food costs for Summer Lunch have gone up 50% from last year, which makes feeding nearly 7,000 children each week for nine weeks an enormous challenge,” said MUST President & CEO Dr. Ike Reighard. “But feeding these hungry children isn’t an option – it’s a MUST. For many children, free and reduced lunches at their schools are the only meals they receive, so we try to fill that gap and keep them fed and healthy in the summer months. With one in five children in Georgia facing food insecurity, this is certainly a problem. With the community’s help, we can all be the solution.”
MUST provides the Summer Lunch meals through “Kids’ Kits.” Each child will receive 5 breakfasts and 5 lunches in the kit, plus drinks and snacks. Last year, the cost to feed one child for the entire program was $100. This year, it has jumped to $150.
The program is supported by church groups, companies, volunteers and other organizations who collect the food, put together the Kids’ Kits and deliver the food directly to local neighborhoods experiencing the most need.
MUST is encouraging donors and groups to gather and put together the Kids’ Kits as a fun activity that will also make a difference in these children’s lives, or to donate online for MUST to purchase the food. People can also donate items through MUST’s Amazon Wish List or deliver or ship the items to the MUST Donation Center, located at 1280 Field Parkway, Marietta, Ga. 30066. The Donation Center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Donations for the program should be labeled “MUST Summer Lunch.”
For more information on the food items, how to put together the Kids’ Kits, and how to sign up to volunteer for Summer Lunch, visit mustministries.dev/summer-lunch.
