Irving YMCA hosts block party to raise awareness of hunger

  • 2014-08-29
In order to remind people that the Summer Meals Program is ending, the Irving YMCA hosted a block party on August 12.

The party was set up to raise awareness of the Texas Hunger Initiative (THI), which helps feed needy children in the summer, during which time school meals are not available.

The program is sponsored by the USDA, and has been around since the 1960s. It is set up to fill the gap for children who rely on free or reduced-priced meals that they obtain during the school year. When schools are out for the summer vacation, and these meals are not available, many of these children are at risk of going hungry.

According to an article by Rambler Newspapers, one in every four children in Dallas County may not know where their next meal is coming from—there are more than 172,000 teens and children in the area that are what's called ‘food insecure’. When they cannot eat healthy foods, such as those provided by the schools, children like these may live on snacks or junk food, compromising their health and increasing the risk of obesity.

The ‘Y’ was chosen because of its location, which has a large residential community surrounding it and because of its strong support of THI.

YMCA officials might work with flyer printers to devise a mailer to remind residents about the end of the program for the year.