Lowcountry Food Bank (LCFB) is participating in the Summer Lunchbox - Summer Meals Program to provide nutritious summer meals to children 18 years old and younger without charge.
The program begins June 8th and continues for nine weeks through August 7th. The food distribution sites are chosen based on their accessibility, where food service gaps exist, and their capacity to serve children who may need meals the most. The sites include day camps, Lowcountry Food Bank partner food pantries, public libraries, and faith-based organizations. Meal sites, service dates, and service times are listed in the "click here" links within this document. The meal site information is subject to change - check back regularly to confirm a site's location and hours.
Additional, free summer meal sites can also be found by calling 1-866-3-HUNGRY (The National Hunger Hotline) or by dialing 2-1-1 or texting "HELP" to 211-211 (Trident United Way).
This program serves children who face hunger during the summer when school meals may not be available. During the school year, the National Breakfast and School Lunch Programs play a pivotal role in fighting childhood hunger.
Unfortunately, the childhood food insecurity rate is at its highest level in more than a decade at more than 13% of the population in the 10 coastal counties of South Carolina that LCFB serves. This is equivalent to more than 204,000 of our neighbors (including adults), of whom more than 48,000 are children. LCFB works strategically to ensure that every neighbor who may experience food insecurity has equitable access to healthy food.
Expiration of post-pandemic benefit programs, federal program cuts, and economic inflation have disproportionately affected communities already facing momentous challenges of underemployment, low income, a lack of transportation, and access to grocery stores. LCFB continues to innovate, not only focusing on the food we distribute, but also on deepening our understanding and responses to neighbors' unique needs, the root causes of hunger, food insecurity, and how these issues can best be addressed in the varying communities we serve.
LCFB prepares summer meals in the Zucker Family Production Kitchen in Charleston, which are nutritionally balanced and designed to be appealing to children. LCFB has procured shelf-stable meals this year to expand our reach in the rural areas we serve, where food insecurity rates among children are nearly 30% in some coastal counties. This program ensures children have access to nutritious food, including fresh produce, throughout the summer.
This program enables the Lowcountry Food Bank to provide year-round hunger relief to children throughout our communities. During the school year, the Lowcountry Food Bank partners with public schools to provide essential meals to children and their families through the BackPack Buddies, Kids Café, School Pantry and School Market programs. Families also receive food assistance at faith-based and non-profit organizations that partner with LCFB. However, additional food resources are needed during the summer when school meals may not be available, and this summer program fulfills this need with nine weeks of food service.