Thousands of families across Massachusetts have been making the most of an annual, federally-funded summer food program. Advocates say “Summer Eats” helps bridge a gap for households while school’s out. The same officials have a wary eye on recent federal cuts targeting other food initiatives.
School's still out for summer vacation, but a steady stream of student families have been making regular pit stops at Greenfield High School.
Drivers are picking up food at the local ‘Summer Eats’ location – open for several hours five days a week, totaling about eight weeks across the summer months.
“We do breakfast, lunch and we also do supper four nights a week at various sites throughout the city, including the library, the skate park, Just Roots Farm and Foster's Supermarket,” says Greta Shwachman, Food Service Director for Greenfield Public Schools. “During the day, we have 16 sites - everywhere from camps to our grab-and-go sites. We have a food truck: a full, 26-foot food truck that's out at five different sites every day for lunch…’
Summer Eats, run by the state and in partnership with the non-profit Project Bread, is a free-of-charge program for kids 18 and under.
In Greenfield, about 20 staff help with the operation, packing and handing out brown bags filled with anything from local produce to a SunButter and jelly sandwich to a hot dog, plus a quart of milk.
"We do do some local foods, so we'll get stuff from Joe Czajkowski Farm, depending on what's in season,” she adds. “We've been getting local fruit - we just ordered local peaches from Marty's Local this week – it really just depends on what's in season for produce..."
Fridays are particularly busy since families can grab meals for the weekend, as well. Schwachman tells WAMC that demand this summer is on track to beat last year’s record.
“We still have two weeks to go in the program and we already have done over 56,000 meals, whereas last summer, for the whole summer, we only did just over 60,000, so we're really on track to outpace last summer significantly,” she explains.
According to Project Bread, there are nearly 500 sites like Greenfield’s across the state this summer.
It’s made possible through the Summer Food Service Program, funded by the federal government and administered by the states. In the commonwealth’s case, the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education administers SFSP.
In nearby Orange, dozens of kids and their parents fill the Mahar Regional School's cafeteria for another food distribution event. Friday was the last day for this particular location. The spot, along with GHS, figured into a promotional tour involving DESE leadership as well as Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern of the 2nd district.
“I think all of us would agree that it is deeply important and impactful than in Massachusetts, we have universal school free lunch and breakfast, made permanent by the Healey-Driscoll administration: that is important, but that's nine-and-a-half months out of the calendar year,” says state Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “What happens during the summer months? I think we would all agree that when that final dismissal bell rings for the summer, in a lot of households, there's a lot of angst around what they're going to do to support their children and the people that they care for, around food and nutrition. But that's where programs like this come in Summer Eats and Sun Bucks, which are so incredibly impactful.”
There is also a communal aspect to it, organizers say. Student parents and grandparents are among those in the cafeteria, including Amber Dupell and her children.
Dupell tells WAMC it’s a chance to spend time together, what with her working throughout most of the week and her kids enrolled in a summer school program.
She’s also the town accountant and adds that programs like Summer Eats are especially helpful in a place like Orange.
“I think the biggest thing for us is a lot of people like to say we’re a small, rural town, but I like to look at us more as a middle-of-the-road rural town,” she explains. “When you look at us, we have a lot of needs or wants that are similar to larger towns, but realistically, our revenue and finances are closer to a smaller town. Grants like the Summer Eats program are really helpful, especially when it comes to the children and making sure they have the resources that they need.”
Speaking with WAMC, Project Bread's Chief Policy Officer Jennifer Lemmerman says Summer Eats and various child nutrition programs were not directly impacted by the recent federal budget reconciliation bill signed into law.
However, the large cuts to SNAP and Medicaid that did pass and will be rolled out in the near-future are cause for concern.
“What happens is that, through participation in SNAP and Medicaid, families are directly certified through the federal school meals program and that participation and that qualification within a community allows for these programs in the summer to exist,” Lemmerman says. “It allows for the state to provide the universal free school meals during the school year and som with the cuts to SNAP and Medicaid that we're anticipating, we anticipate seeing lower rates of participation in those programs, which would lead to lower rates of qualification in this program.”
Speaking to reporters in Greenfield, McGovern, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, says in an era of Republican cutbacks, "nutrition has a target on its back."
“I think that's just … a stupid thing to do,” the Democrat says of cuts to SNAP and elsewhere. “These programs are incredible investments and for every dollar we invest in these programs, we save a whole bunch of other dollars and other costs. Kids who are hungry don't learn in school, kids who are hungry are more likely to deal with health issues and programs like this are a godsend, especially in rural communities.”
Republicans have defended cuts and verification requirements included in the "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act" as necessary to strengthen service programs.
For now, Massachusetts leaders are monitoring the bill’s potential impacts, including a recently-established "Anti-Hunger” taskforce, set up by Governor Maura Healey.
