Nonprofit Works to ‘Make Summer Fair’ for Rural Kids

Fair” program sends mobile units with food and learning supplies to students’ homes in 30 communities nationwide.

“When children are unable to keep learning, creating, and growing throughout the summer months, they not only fall behind their peers but may never catch up,” Pliego pointed out. “Summer can mean no more access to books, regular meals, art supplies, and the end of exercising and playing with friends until the next school year.” worst food insecurity are rural.

“Of those kids that regularly access a free breakfast and free lunch, sometimes that evening meal during the school year at their local school, only about 15% of those kids have access to a summer feeding program,” Garver noted. “So we know that kids are going hungry over the summer months.”

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buses stop running in June. Research shows kids can lose more than a third of what they learned during the school year during the dormant summer months.

Dino Pliego, California assistant state director for Save the Children, said his organization’s “Make Summer

Save the Children’s programs offer day camps and distribute food in Fresno, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Tulare counties. Families can sign up via their local school district.

Shane Garver, head of program design and impact for Save the Children, said 90% of the counties with the

Rural child poverty is higher than in urban areas in 40 states, including California. Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, Save the Children has served more than 45 million meals to kids and families in rural America.

Disclosure: Save the Children contributes to our fund for reporting on Children’s Issues, Early Childhood Education, Education, and Poverty Issues.