KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Schools across the country will now be able to extend the summer free meals program through the end of the year, which Second Harvest Executive Director Elaine Streno said isn't something to take lightly.
"We are thrilled to hear this," she said.
Child hunger is something her organization tries to fix. It works in 18 different counties with 12,000 kids in its Food for Kids Program.
"We know from the studies we've all done, when a child is fed they can learn, they can focus, the anxiety of where their next meal is coming from is not on their radar," she said.
Studies from Berkley to Columbia University report the same thing. When kids do not need to worry about their next meal, they can focus on their studies and on having better social life.
"The pandemic brought it to light," Streno said.
It brought issues avbour access to food, inequities and the realities of going without basic necessities to the forefront of many discussions.
"It did bring to light that people can lose their jobs that they can drive to work and the doors won't be opened when they get there," she said.
Take a look at this federal map. The little green blocks show areas considered food deserts. They span from one side of the state all the way to the other.
The map shows that free school lunches can mean more to kids than most people realize.
"The demand for food went up 50 percent when this hit us," she said.
That was back in March, but today the need for better food access continues.
"Hunger can be a hidden disease because if you need food it's not something you tell people because you're a little embarrassed," Streno said.
Though the free meal program ends in December, Streno said its impact will matter greatly. She highlighted both a need and a time when people could use a helping hand.
"If this can shed a light on our neighbors who need us and that we can all be a little kinder to each other ... it could make a big difference in our world," she said.