In summer 2013 the Capital Area YMCA launched its first hunger relief program when we embarked upon becoming our own Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsor. As we enter our eighth summer self-sponsoring we couldn’t be happier with the outcomes we’ve had over the years and we continually look to expand our impact in areas of need. Last summer we sponsored and/or operated 26 summer meal sites!
In addition to the summer meals program, we also operate an after-school dinner program. When we began the dinner program in November 2014, we were one of only two organizations that ran at-risk after school meal programs in the city of Trenton. We started with one Y-based site and have since sponsored and/or operated as many as 21 sites in a school year.
The Covid 19 pandemic forced the closing of schools around our region, and thus all our after-school dinner programs with only two days’ notice. However, food insecurity in children has exponentially increased. Many of our city’s children relied on school to eat two meals a day, and our after-school meal programs for dinner. Although our school-based programs closed we were able to quickly open 8 grab and go meal sites throughout the city within a matter of three days under an emergency summer meals waiver from the state of New Jersey. We have since added another two grab and go summer sites and reopened three at risk sites.
For more information on how you can support our meal program, to partner or volunteer, please contact us at 609-599-9622 ext. 207.
