Summer Hunger Among Children: Where to Find Help

Summer is here and school is out! While most children and teens may see these coming months as a time to relax and be carefree, for some, it can mean the end of their everyday meals. Nearly 1 million children in Arizona benefit from school meals during the academic year. 

When school is not in session, where can these children turn to for meals to replace the free breakfast and lunch they would normally get at school? Here are some resources available to help through the summer. 

Summer Breakfasts

In partnership with Nourishing Neighbors, our Child Nutrition Program offers free summer breakfasts to children and teens ages 18 and younger. This includes individual-sized breakfast snack kits 5 days a week and a Weekend Pack on Fridays with larger portions. This program will run until August 4th. To find a participating location near you, please visit https://www.communityfoodbank.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Summer-Breakfasts-2023-Flyer.pdf 

Summer Meals

Free meals are available all across Arizona through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for children and teens ages 18 and younger. There is no cost and no registration required. Last summer, 4.3 million meals were served in Arizona. There are several sites in the Southern Arizona area, our resource center in Nogales and many in the Tucson area. For information and locations near you, visit https://www.azhealthzone.org/foodsites/ or text “FOOD” or “COMIDA” to 304-304.