Lowey, center, with Food Bank officials
ELMSFORD – Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D, NY17) highlighted the risk of childhood hunger over the summer months when school is not in session.
Lowey and officials of the Food Bank for Westchester, school and church representatives met on Tuesday to highlight the problem of childhood hunger during the summer when children do not receive free or reduced price meals.
Lowey, whose district includes all of Rockland County and a portion of Westchester, said thousands of children are at risk in her area alone and nationwide, the number is in the millions.
“There are 21 million children in the United States that rely on free or reduced price meals on a given day, but only 3.7 million receive meals when school is not in session,” Lowey said. “That means that over 80 percent of kids, who rely on school meals, are threatened with hunger over the summer, and for many, making July and August the hungriest months of the year, even in our own backyard.”
Food Bank President Ellen Lynch said one in five people in Westchester are food insecure and 33 percent of those are children.
Lowey said she will introduce an amendment in the House to protect the summer pilot electronic benefit program that helps families to purchase foods over the summer months. She wants to increase the funding for the program to provide food for those in need all summer long.
