By Bekah Clawson, President & CEO
Summer Shouldn’t Mean Hunger for Kids on Summer Break
A few weeks into summer break, the excitement of the last day of school already feels distant for many families. While children should be spending these warm June days thinking about swimming pools, time with friends, and long afternoons without homework, far too many are instead facing a very different reality. For many households in our community, summer has brought an immediate and pressing fear: not having enough food.
At Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana, we see the reality behind the statistics. During the school year, thousands of children in East Central Indiana rely on school breakfasts, lunches, and our once monthly Big Idea school distributions to help meet their nutritional needs. When those supports pause for the summer, the safety net frays. Families who were already stretched thin suddenly need to provide an additional 10–12 meals per child each week. For households living paycheck to paycheck, that shift is not small, it’s seismic.
We hear from parents who skip meals so their kids can eat. Grandparents raising grandchildren on fixed incomes who watch their grocery bills double in June. Single parents working two jobs who still can’t keep up with the rising cost of food, gas, and utilities. These are hardworking families doing everything they can – and still falling short due to no fault of their own.
That is why Second Harvest is stepping up in Madison County with a renewed focus on summer hunger relief. Our Tailgate, Mobile Market, and Small Community distributions continue to serve families across the county, offering fresh produce, dairy, proteins, and pantry staples when available at no cost. These distributions are designed to meet people where they are providing a variety of locations ensuring that families in rural and urban neighborhoods alike have access to nutritious food.
Even when school buildings are closed, the needs of students and caregivers don’t disappear. We are pleased that about half of our Big Idea school‑based distributions agreed to continue serving during the summer months. To find out if your child’s school participates in The Big Idea, click here.
Summer hunger is a community issue, and it requires a community response.
Local businesses, civic groups, churches, and individuals can all play a part. Volunteering at a mobile distribution, hosting a food drive, making a financial contribution, or simply spreading the word about available resources, each action helps ensure that no child in our communities goes hungry this summer. Second Harvest also provides a match with help from the Pacers Foundation based in Indianapolis for all financial donations in July and August, so if you want your donation to go further, check out our Summer Match Campaign starting July 1.
As we move into the warmest months of the year, I ask our community to remember this: hunger doesn’t take a vacation. And neither can we. At Second Harvest, we remain committed to showing up with dignity, compassion, and practical support for every family that needs us. Together, we can make sure that summer is a season of joy – not worry – for the children in our community.