July 1, 2020

Back for another round in 2020, Meet Up & Eat Up will be providing free healthy meals for children up to 18 years old for the rest of the summer.

Food insecurity is extra prevalent this year due to COVID-19 economic crises and unemployment. Created to counteract the lack of school-provided meals, Meet Up & Eat Up ensures that children have access to nutritious meals during the long months of summer vacation. Families are welcome; adults' meals are $2 each.

According to Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes, hunger in Kalamazoo County is always an ongoing battle. As of 2019, nearly 38,000 local residents are considered food insecure, including more than 9,000 children. Additionally, 70% of students who attend Kalamazoo Public Schools are eligible for the free or reduced-price lunch program, and are vulnerable to hunger during the summer without the meals they'd normally receive at school. 19% of households with a child or teenager live below the poverty line and 8% of local senior citizens live on less than $12,000 each year.

Visit kresa.org/meetup to learn more, and use our interactive Google Map to find the site your family will be visiting!