Take Action to End Child Hunger!

Summer can be a time of hunger for children and teens who receive free and reduced-price meals at school but lose access during June, July and August. The Food Depository works with community organizations to fill the gap and provide access to nutritious food in convenient neighborhood sites such as libraries, parks and community centers.

The Lunch Bus is one of many programs that is uplifting families in need by offering free meals during the summer months.

For them, the bright green Lunch Bus is so cheerful and fun, plus it’s loaded with delicious food.

For the parents of those children, the Lunch Bus is a relief . . .

The meals delivered by the Lunch Bus offset the free or reduced-priced meals children often receive during the school year, which is a huge help to parents struggling to put food on the table all summer long.

Mariana and her daughters meet the Lunch Bus outside the Lansing Public Library, where her oldest attends the Library’s summer youth program.

Her youngest child, Olivia, is just a toddler, but she knows when to expect the Lunch Bus! “She’ll say, ‘Mommy, lunch!’” Mariana said.

It’s a fun outing for the family to enjoy a healthy lunch on the picnic bench, and the meals help both of her kids try new foods, Mariana says, like cold cuts and snap peas.

Families with children are more likely to face food insecurity

According to Feeding America, the national network of food banks, an estimated 1 in 6 families with children face hunger in the US. According to economists at Northwestern University, as many as 1 in 4 Chicago households with children currently face hunger.

That’s why the Greater Chicago Food Depository partners with dozens of sites all across Chicago and the suburbs to bring nutritious and fresh food into neighborhoods where households are facing hunger during the summer months.

You are a part of this tremendous impact!

Matching challenge doubles your summer impact!

Thank you for supporting the Food Depository today to help reach more families who are challenged by the growing costs of living and groceries.

If you want to give again to help even more—turning hunger into hope all summer long—your gift today will double in impact through the $50,000 matching challenge.