skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

After Steady Gains, Virginia Sees "Slight Dip" in Summer Feeding Programs

play audio
Play

Thursday, June 4, 2015   

RICHMOND, Va. - More low-income children across the country are being fed school-style lunches during the summertime, but that number is somewhat lower in Virginia than in previous years.

According to LaTonya Reed, director of Virginia Hunger Solutions, Virginia has made progress over the last several years getting children who qualify for low-cost school meals into summer feeding programs – but the majority of Virginia kids who qualify are still not being fed.

Reed adds there was "a slight dip" in last year's numbers. While she expects progress to pick up again, she stresses how far there is to go.

"Virginia is not among the bottom 10 performing states, but we're not among the top 10 performing states either," she says. "So there is certainly room for improvement."

The numbers are part of a just-released report from the Food Action and Research Center.

Reed says summer feeding programs are important for families that typically depend on lunches made available during the school year. She adds that many summer feeding programs also offer academic enrichment, which help fill the "scholastic gaps" that come with summer.

"They don't lose educational gains during the summer months," says Reed. "When they return to school in September, they can simply build from where they left off in June."

Virginia first lady Dorothy McAuliffe has made summer feeding programs a priority, and has worked to get more organizations involved to offer additional summer feeding sites.

Nearly 85 percent of Virginia children who qualify for summer feeding programs are still not taking part. According to Reed, getting more organizational partners on board to add more feeding locales is a crucial step in getting more Virginia children fed.

"There are plenty of opportunities for schools, parks, churches and other entities to become summer feeding sites," she says.

In the U.S., about 200,000 more low-income school children were in summer feeding programs in 2014 than in 2013. In Virginia, however, that number fell by two percent. Reed stresses that five out of six Virginia children who qualify are not yet in any of the available programs in the state.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …

Social Issues

play sound

Education advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for programs to combat the teacher shortage. Around 37% of schools nationwide …


A 2022 report finds failing to speed up transmission beyond the current pace will increase 2030 U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions by 800 million tons per year. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021