Pandemic wanes, school's out but needs for meals continues
Despite signs of recovery in the economy, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina is seeing a 49% increase in children and teens experiencing hunger because of the pandemic.
"We’re going like pedal to the metal everyday without trying to overheat," said Nick Robertson, hunger and nutrition manager at Urban Ministries of Wake County.
The agency operates a food pick-up program from its pantry on Capital Boulevard in Raleigh Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. until the food runs out. Right now, it’s providing food to 55 to 65 families each day. The nonprofit is preparing for a summer surge.
"We have seen a definitely way bigger need taking care of the kids. It’s just natural. If you’re not at school being taken care of, you have to be taken care of at home," said Robertson.
Mercedes Sanders is in charge of the Kids Summer Meals program at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. She says the need has been consistent over the last 12 to 15 months because of the pandemic. The program is adding sites to its list of more than two dozen locations for families to pick up grab and go meals.
The Food Bank tells WRAL News 184,000 children and teens are in need of food in the 34 counties it serves. That’s 1 in 5. It was 1 in 6 before the pandemic.
"It’s going to take a lot of time to recover from the strain of this pandemic. The hunger, you can’t solve it with just one meal," said Sanders.
The Food Bank hopes those grab-and-go meal programs become permanent so it can reach more kids and their families. Right now, a federal waiver is allowing them because of the pandemic instead of having to provide in-person meals for kids to eat on-site. The meals are free for any children under 18.
Wake County Public Schools is also serving meals to more children this summer. It’s providing 20,088 meals daily right now at curbside pick-up spots, community locations, and camp. That’s 5,346 more than last summer. The school system says that could be due to increased demand and serving meals inside which it could not do in 2020.
