To highlight the impact of summer break on childhood hunger, the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank released a video, Meet Jack, to help create awareness about childhood food insecurity. The Meet Jack video is brought to you by The J.M. Smucker Co. and can be viewed at Meet-Jack.com.
The video opens on Jack, an adorable, brown-haired cartoon character who likes to read, play outside and hopes to be a firefighter one day. The viewer then meets Jack’s mom. Like most parents, she wants him to learn, grow and thrive, but she’s having a hard time right now because everything is more expensive.
Jack is like thousands of children in the Foodbank’s service area who receive one, if not two meals, while at school each day. Most of these students rely heavily on free or reduced-price meals, and some are recipients of backpack programs; they receive easy-to-prepare meals for weekends and holiday breaks.
When summer break arrives, families attempting to live on a tight budget must make up the meals their children receive at school. And if the family is comprised of working parents, finding affordable childcare can be an additional financial burden.
In the Foodbank’s eight-county service area, nearly 20% of children may struggle with hunger.
“One of the largest populations we serve are children under the age of 18,” said Dan Flowers, Foodbank president and CEO. “In partnership with our hunger-relief network, your Foodbank seeks to help families just like Jack’s by providing nourishing meals and snacks when school is not in session. No family should have to go hungry. Together, we can make this a healthy summer for more kids in our community.”
To learn more about childhood food insecurity and how to help kids like Jack, visit Meet-Jack.com.
