Story
During the winter holiday season, the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shores experiences a heartwarming surge of volunteers and donations. But by February, donations begin to drop. And by summer, community support dwindles to a mere trickle as businesses and families relax into vacation season. While many families unwind, many others tighten up their budgets as food costs hit their annual peak. Did you know that food insecure children receive 50 percent of their daily nutrition from subsidized school meals? Just as the bell rings on the last day of spring semester, that 50 percent plummets to zero. By the end of June, parents are struggling with the increased financial burden of providing more with less. This phenomena, known as Summer Hunger, impacts thousands of food insecure families in the area we serve. Over summer, access to Foodbank resources becomes critical for survival at a time when food and fund donations are most scarce.