Your Support Helps Feed Children During the Summer

This year, the Second Harvest Community Kitchen will provide thousands of free, nutritious meals to local children throughout the ten-week summer break.

According to Second Harvest’s Community Kitchen Director Gina Melita, dozens of partner organizations will receive freshly prepared, nutritious breakfasts, lunches, and snacks each day during their summer programming, entirely free of charge.

“Most of these children get through the rest of the year only because of the hot meals they receive at school. For them, hunger becomes a serious issue in the summer. That’s where this program makes a major difference.”

Melita says her kitchen will cook, package, deliver, and serve more than 200,000 meals over the course of the summer to children from low-income and needy families in Iberia, Orleans, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. John and St. Bernard Parishes.

“We are always ready to take on new sites throughout the summer and expand this vital program,” Melita said. “As a non-profit organization, we can put our funding into the quality and preparation of the food, and not have to worry about making a profit.”

For more information on how your organization can receive free meals through Second Harvest Food Bank’s Summer Feeding Program, contact Children’s Programs Coordinator Tanya O’Reilly at (504) 729-2842 or toreilly@secondharvest.org.

If you’re interested in volunteering in the kitchen, contact Volunteer Coordinator Lauren Robinson at (504) 729-1322 or larobinson@secondharvest.org.