Free summer meal sites are expanding across Vermont

More free summer meal sites are open across Vermont this year than ever before, according to anti-poverty advocacy group Hunger Free Vermont.

That’s in large part thanks to a new Vermont law that requires all public schools to offer free lunch during the school year, according to Anore Horton, the executive director for the advocacy group.

Implementing that law has provided schools with a more accurate count of the number of students who are low-income, and allowed more communities to drawn down the federal funding that pays for summer meal programs.

“By passing the universal school meals act in Vermont, our legislature has more than doubled the number of communities in our state that are eligible to provide these free summer meals,” Horton said. “And thank goodness they did.”

Kathy Alexander, the school nutrition director for the Addison Northwest and Mount Abraham school districts in Addison County, said those changes allowed two new summer sites to open in Vergennes and New Haven this year. Every day, both sites each distribute about 250 meal kits to area families.

“It really expanded our reach and is meeting a community need that’s somewhat astounding, actually,” Alexander said.

Meal sites are open at schools, libraries, community centers and churches in all 14 counties. Depending on the program, families can either eat on-site or pick up meal kits to take home.

Information about where to find summer meal sites is available by calling 211 or visiting Hunger Free Vermont’s website.

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