14 The Hampton Roads Messenger Education


USDA Highlights Importance of Keeping Kids Fed During Summer Months


collectively known as USDA Summer Meal Programs, help fill this critical nutrition gap for children 18 years and younger. A recently released study of the Summer Food Service Program found that schools were the most common setting for meals service, followed by recreation centers, parks and playgrounds, churches, and community centers. In addition to serving lunch, 60% of sites offer breakfast, and 14% offer supper.


BY ALLIANCE TO END HUNGER ROBBINSVILLE, N.J. –


Children’s need for good nutrition does not end when school lets out for the summer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is reminding the public about its commitment to help families keep children in low-income areas fed throughout the summer, so they can return to school ready to learn and succeed in the fall.


“Children need nutritious food


to learn, grow, and achieve long-term success,” said Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Brandon Lipps. “USDA’s Summer Meal Programs ensure children have access to nutritious meals during the summer months.” Lipps made these comments while visiting a summer meals site at Laurel Woods Apartments in Ashland,


Virginia that works in partnership with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service and Rural Development to empower children throughout rural Virginia by fueling their minds and bodies with nutritious meals.


During the academic year,


approximately 22 million children and teens receive free and reduced-price meals at their schools. But only about one in six of those – about 3.7 million – participate in the summer meal programs. As a result, low-income children are at higher risk of food insecurity and poor nutrition during the summer. USDA encourages innovative strategies to reach children throughout the summer months.


The Summer Food Service


Program (SFSP) and the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP),


forefront of innovation for the nutrition


“Our state partners are at the assistance


programs, and


we support them as they continue developing better ways to serve our children whether they live in urban or rural areas,” Lipps said. Lipps added that ensuring the integrity of USDA summer meal programs is a shared responsibility that is key to preserving the noble mission of these programs.


Summer meal sites, such as the


one at Laurel Woods Apartments assist communities by serving nutritious meals, while also providing education activities, organized games or sports, and other supervised activities. In addition, the summer meals program gives children an opportunity to socialize and build a community here, while participating in a variety of free activities


USDA also recently announced its 2019 Turnip the Beet winners,


Connie Priscilla Fund Scholarship


The Connie Priscil- la Scholarship Fund is committed to helping high school graduates across the country achieve higher education. Our commitment empowers our grad- uates by providing scholarships that help to subsidize the costs of tuition,


textbooks, and room & board. We serve scholars from single parent or low-income households who hold a 3.0 GPA or better. By reducing the increasingly high financial commitment needed in pursuing higher educa- tion, we aim to contribute greatly to the overall success of our scholarship recipients.


‘Applicants should: be an African-American, graduating high school senior. have a minimum 3.0 GPA.


be actively involved in leadership at school or in the community. reside in a single parent and/or low-income household.


The Connie Priscilla Scholarship Fund helps students like yourself. Apply for your scholarship for this upcoming 2019-2020 school year. Applica- tions must have been received by July 22nd, 2019 by 11:59 PM to be con- sidered. We thank you in your interest to participate in The Connie Priscilla Scholarship Fund and welcome you to apply next year.


Our mission is to encourage and support students desiring a college ed- ucation. We will assist in affording selected students’ higher education opportunities that will enable them to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve their life goals, serve in their communities and be pre- pared to lead globally. Essentially, we want to make a financial investment, through education, in the lives of our Future Leaders


Scholarship Vision: The Connie Priscilla Scholarship Fund is an emphatic advocate for higher education that will:


Assist students who desire to further their education with financial assis- tance for tuition, textbooks and room & board. Assist students in low-income neighborhoods and single-parent house- holds with financial assistance to further their education. Provide scholarships to students who exemplify hard work, leadership and community service.


Equip and help students compete at a high level in all of their studies, stress the importance of giving back to the community through service and en- courage them to reach for their dreams.


For more information or to apply, please visit the scholarship provider’s website: www.conniepriscillafund.com.


Contact


Scholarship Committee One Scholarship Way Saint Peter, MN 56082 info@conniepriscillafund.com 507-931-1682


which recognizes dedicated summer meal programs sponsors nationwide who offer high quality meals that are appealing and nutritious.


Families can find local summer


meals sites by visiting the Summer Meals Site Finder, calling the USDA National Hunger Hotline at 1-866- 348-6479, or texting “Summer Meals” to 97779.


USDA’s Food and Nutrition


Service (FNS) works to reduce food insecurity and promote nutritious diets among the American people. The agency administers 15 nutrition assistance programs that leverage American’s agricultural abundance to ensure children and low-income individuals and families have nutritious food to eat. FNS also co-develops the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which provide science-based nutrition recommenda- tions and serve as the cornerstone of federal nutrition policy.


Volume 13 Number 10


July 2019


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