School is almost out for the summer. For many kids that means, vacations and time at the beach. For some children, summer means hunger pains from lack of food.
The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County has launched a new campaign to end summer hunger.
One in five kids are at risk of hunger in Santa Barbara. Foodbank volunteer Jennifer Mansbach says summer months are critical for thousands of children. She said, “84% of children who receive food assistance during the school year will not be getting that assistance over the summer. So there is a really big need.”
Mansbach organizes a monthly “Family Philanthropy Volunteer Day” at the Foodbank where volunteers sort fresh produce and put together community food donations.
The volunteers are also supporting the Foodbank’s launch of the “Share Your Lunch” campaign. Throughout the month of May, people are urged to share their lunch with a child, or a senior, in the community. Mansbach said, “You can make a donation of the amount of one day’s lunch, one week’s lunch or any amount that you want to make. The idea is to raise 50 thousand dollars to help deliver the food to the kids in need here in Santa Barbara.”
There’s also a big social media push to raise awareness. Foodbank encourages anyone who wants to help inspire others to make a difference to take a photo of their own lunch at home, work or a local restaurant, then share it on Facebook, or Twitter using the hashtag #ShareYourLunch.
Mansbach says she hopes people can help spread the message about childhood hunger in the community. Mansbach says she can’t imagine her own children having to skip a meal. She said, “I actually tear up. I think it’s just absolutely unacceptable. I think that in an intelligent society and a caring society, everybody should be able to have food. That is just a simple, simple rule.”
