When school is out for the summer, many students lose access to the free breakfast, lunch and after-school snacks received during the school year. This reality can pose additional challenges to parents struggling to keep up with inflation and rising food costs. Fortunately, there are opportunities to help bridge the summer months.

Last month Congress passed the Keep Kids Fed Act, which extends a number of pandemic-era federal waivers that provide millions of students access to meals both in school and during the summer. The law ensures that all students in the country will continue to be eligible for free meals throughout the summer and will provide schools with higher reimbursement rates for the 2022-23 school year. A notable exception is that free school meals for all students regardless of family income will end after the summer (except for low-income areas such as Dorchester County that will continue to be eligible for federal assistance and able to offer free meals to all students without the burden of collecting household meal applications).

The Keep Kids Fed Act allows for the reinstitution of the reduced-price meal category along with a free meal category for students who qualify for the subsidies based on income. The new law will also enable summer meal program providers to operate with increased flexibility such as offering grab-and-go meals so parents can pick up multiple meals rather than requiring children to eat all meals on-site. Geographic flexibility is also key to the new law – making sure meal sites are accessible throughout communities across the country which will in turn help reduce families’ grocery bills.

MidShore Meals til Monday’s Summer Programs

MidShore Meals til Monday (MtM) is working hard to fill the gaps for Dorchester County children and families this summer experiencing food insecurity. Every student attending Dorchester County (DCPS) summer school (or any student who chooses to drop in during meal hours) may receive free breakfast and lunch to be consumed on-site. MtM weekend food bags that contain nutritious items such as cereal, granola bars, fruit cup, powdered milk, cans of tuna, or a box of macaroni and cheese are also available to all summer school students. Since DCPS requires meals be served on-site, the weekend bags from MtM are especially helpful. MtM also offers weekend food bags to children attending a number of local summer programs for underserved populations, camps, faith-based programs, and other partner organizations.

Every Friday afternoon from 3:00 – 6:00 pm MtM operates a free food pantry in Vienna (located behind the white building across from Millie’s Restaurant) stocked with items from the Maryland Food Bank. Food staples available in the pantry include frozen meat, fresh produce, and household and personal items. Additionally, MtM is holding several large food give-aways each month including on July 22nd at the New Beginnings Learning Center on 512 Greenwood Avenue in Cambridge from 3:00 – 5:00 pm; and on July 28th at the El Dorado Fire House in Eldorado from 2:30 – 4:30 pm. Families may receive several bags of groceries at the food give-aways with frozen meats, canned and baked goods, household staples, and fresh produce.  Additional large food giveaways are planned for August and will be announced on MtM’s website and FaceBook page. As always, food support is also available by calling #443 225-6789.