The Summer Meal Program, a collaboration between ECU Health, Food Lion Feeds, Sodexo, and the ECU Health Foundation, is set to provide free meals to kids, teens, and people with disabilities in Greenville, Bethel, and Ahoskie. This initiative will offer nutritious meals to those in need during the summer months when school-provided lunches are no longer available.
The selected sites for meal distribution were chosen based on factors such as need, existing partnerships, and social vulnerability indices. During the school year, many students receive free or reduced meals, but when summer break begins, these vital meals are no longer available. This puts families in a difficult position as they must choose between providing meals or other necessities like utilities and medical care. In North Carolina alone, over 57% of students receive free or reduced lunch, with higher percentages in Pitt and Hertford Counties.
Meals will be offered at specific locations in Greenville, Ahoskie and Bethel until food runs out. In Greenville, meals will be available at English Chapel Free Will Baptist Church from June 10 to August 23. The site will be closed from July 22-26. In Ahoskie, meals will be served at Calvary Missionary Baptist Church from June 10 to August 23 with closure on July 4th. In Bethel youth can find meals at the Bethel Youth Activity Center from June 17 to July 17 with closure from July 3-7th.
Since its launch in 2021ECU Health has been providing around 12 thousand free meals per year to kids and teens in need through this program. Over two thousand meals were served by fifty one ECU Health team members last year alone . No registration is necessary to access these free meals so don’t hesitate to reach out for more information about the ECU Health Summer Meal Program via email at [email protected]
