Local food bank supports students & helps fight summer food insecurity
Danyelle Burke North
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – During the summer, a lot of kids and adults suffer from food insecurity. During the school year, cafeterias provide students with a nice warm meal, but when summertime comes around, some students are worried about where their next meal is going to come from.
“During the summer, of course, we all know those kids are getting meals from the schools, so now schools are going to shut down, kids are going to go home, and those kids are now going to be home with their families. So the burden is going to be on the families now,” said Yuma Community Food Bank Chief Operating Officer Michelle Merkley.
It’s why the Yuma Community Food Bank helps fill food pantries on several local campuses, all to make sure no student goes hungry. Those include Yuma’s Northern Arizona University and Arizona Western College campuses along with O.C. Johnson. They say there’s a huge call to action during the summer.
“More and more people come to us during the summer, so we’re always asking for food donations. You know help do a food drive, you know, clean out your pantry. You can drop off food right off here at the main location here, said Merkley.
May until the end of July, the food bank is partnering with Pilkington Construction to support families through the summer.
“Pilkington construction, they’ve agreed that until the end of July, they will match up to $5,000 in total for every dollar donated,” said Yuma Councilman Art Morales. “With this initiative, we’re hoping to get the Yuma Community Food Bank through the summer to support the families.”
If you’d like to help support families and students in need, you can volunteer here, or donate at the Yuma Community Food Bank.