BEACON – The Beacon summer lunch program, which lost its USDA funding, will continue this summer thanks to the Related Affordable Foundation.
The Community Action Partnership of Dutchess County will administer the program, which will provide lunches to students who are eligible to receive free or reduced fee lunches during the school year.
The federal funding was terminated because the district no longer met the criteria that 50 percent or more of the students must fall below a poverty level.
At this point, 67 students have been signed up for the Beacon program, said Elizabeth Spira, chief executive officer of the Community Action Partnership. The agency will receive funding for 80 students, but the foundation declined to reveal the amount of its donation.
“Providing free nutritious meals for students year-round, including summer breaks, helps create a safe space for children to be children without worrying about where their next meal will come from,” said Matthew Finkle, president of Related Affordable, which provides funding for programs and services that focus on addressing unmet needs to help improve the lives of residents at Related Affordable properties and surrounding communities.
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