It is almost summertime! This can be an exciting time for many, filled with summer camps, outdoor activities, and exploring new places. However, for many individuals and families within the communities we serve, summertime can also be a stressful time for many reasons. One of these reasons often results from households with children facing food insecurities.

No Kid Hungry: Center for Best Practices

Upcoming Webinar: Afterschool Meals in Libraries – Offering Year-Round Nutrition. Wednesday, May 18 from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. (central).

Libraries provide a unique opportunity to combat food insecurity and improve the health and well-being of children in their communities. Interested in learning how? Join the No Kid Hungry: Center for Best Practices for a webinar to learn how the Afterschool Meals Program can provide nutritious meals and snacks in libraries. In this session, you will hear from two libraries and a program sponsor – Jasmin LoBosso from the Kern County Library in California, Sarah Wright from the Columbus Metropolitan Library in Ohio, and Shannon Amos from the Children’s Hunger Alliance – about their experience starting Afterschool Meals Programs in libraries. The webinar will be recorded and archived on the No Kid Hungry website.

Want to learn more? Here is a direct link to register for the webinar: http://bestpractices.nokidhungry.org/webinars/afterschool-meals-libraries-offering-year-round-nutrition

Also, check out no Kid Hungry’s resource about summer and afterschool meals and libraries: https://bestpractices.nokidhungry.org/programs/summer-and-afterschool-meals-libraries

Texas Resources

Here are a few websites that share food and nutrition resources that can support out Texas communities: 

• Visit our TSLAC Texas Summer Food Program webpage: Christina Taylor, Youth Services Consultant and Tomas Mendez, Continuing Education Support Specialist, carefully curated and designed this webpage to connect our communities to information related to summer food programming. For questions about the information shared on this page, contact Christina Taylor at ctaylor@tsl.texas.edu.
• Texas Department of Agriculture: Summer Meal Programs: The program reimburses organizations who serve approved meals to qualifying children. All meals are served free to eligible children.
• Benefits.Gov is the official website of the U.S. Government that provides resources to connect individuals with government benefits. Visit their Food and Nutrition page to learn more about different programs and services that offer access to food and nutrition. 
• Feeding Texas: Use this site to find a food bank near your library. 
• Texas Health and Human Services: Texas Food Bank Network Provider: Contact one of the providers on this site for assistance or information on how to fill out an application for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as “food stamps”, or to learn more about SNAP and other nutrition programs in your area.
• Food Pantries.org: This organization has compiled a list of Texas food pantries and food banks. 

If your library plans to be a summer meal site this summer, let us know! You can email us. 

As always, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or want to set up a time to chat. Wishing you a great summer!