SANDWICH- The Sandwich Partnership for families has launched a pilot program to help combat childhood hunger in the town.
The ‘Savor the Summer’ venture sets out to help 50 students a week (chosen by their school principal) who cannot afford, or don’t have access, to proper sustenance during the summer months.
“From 2007, we had 7 percent of children on the free and reduced school lunch program, and now we are at 25 percent. So when school is out, the children that have been receiving free breakfast and lunch subsidies are no longer able to do that,” said Lauren Melillo with the Partnership.
The program “is patterned after the Cape Kids backpack program. So instead of children receiving supplemental food on the weekends, what we are planning on doing is offering a once a week package of food that will last over that week. In addition, it will have summer enrichment and learning supplies in it,” said Melillo.
Volunteers will have access to the fridges at the Henry T. Wing School every Wednesday to fill the bags and will be able to use the building as a pickup point, and delivery hub.
A $2,500 donation from the United Way Micro Grant program, as well as funds from book drives, community donations, and pledges have gone to fund this effort.
Non-profits such as the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the United Way, W.B. Mason, the Sandwich Elementary PTA, and many others have also shown support.
For more information on the program and how you can help, you can click HERE.
By JOHN BONDAREK, CapeCod.Com News Center
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