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SummerStock(Up): What could be GROOVIER than helping kids on July 14th?

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Every dollar raised through SummerStock(Up) will truly help stock up on food supplies this summer for our Child Nutrition Programs. One in five children in Arizona are at risk of hunger. That’s a staggering number, but helping fill the meal gaps for children who don’t always have enough to eat is exactly what these programs are designed to do.

For thousands of kids across Southern Arizona, our Child Nutrition Programs “provide a nutritious meal to little ones at home in a way that is accessible for their families,” explains Dulce Carrillo, Child Nutrition and Community Partnerships Manager at the Community Food Bank. Keeping barriers low so families can easily access healthy food is central to all three of our Child Nutrition Programs: Summer Nutrition Kits, After School Snacks, and School Pantries.

Nourishing Kids, Strengthening Futures.

The Summer Nutrition Kit program runs this year through August 5th and offers free individual snack packs filled with protein, grains or seeds, fruit, and juice five days a week for children ages 0-18 at 19 sites throughout Pima County. Weekend packs also include easy breakfast options like pancake mix with fruit or cereal with milk.

During the school year, we provide healthy, filling after-school snacks for children and teens up to age 18 at community sites across Southern Arizona. Food is provided as part of the USDA’s federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). This ensures that kids and teenagers can enjoy the nutrition they need after school.

This school year, we’re supporting 34 school pantries across seven districts: Tucson Unified, Sunnyside, Flowing Wells, Amphitheater, Baboquivari, Tombstone, and Nogales. School pantries are designed to serve families by offering a convenient place for parents and guardians to supplement their food supplies.

Powered by Community.

To administer these Child Nutrition programs, we partner with schools, libraries, and community hubs. The staff at these locations play a vital role in eliminating food security barriers for the children in our communities. Librarians not only distribute after-school snacks and Summer Nutrition Kits, they also provide learning enrichment opportunities for our children. Teachers might help get kids on the school bus with the food they need. And volunteers are the heart and soul of making sure our school pantries serve our kids and their families week after week.

Jerry, a long-time volunteer at the Lawrence 3-8 School pantry says, “We’re in a lower-income area. So, having options for getting nourishing food to families, whether it be something the students take home or something the families come and pick up is hugely important. For all the volunteers here, including myself, this is a labor of love. We’re tired at the end of a pantry day, but we don’t regret it one bit.”

So please join us for SummerStock(Up) on Tuesday, July 14th and support these incredible programs to help ensure every child in our community has the nutritious food they need to grow, learn, and thrive. Because there really is nothing groovier than helping our kids!