As we turn the corner of the pandemic and welcome the beginning of summer, now more than ever, we want children to spend the next few months playing outside with their friends. And we want them to do it without the gnawing feeling of an empty stomach. Children can be especially susceptible to hunger during the summer months when they don’t have access to regular, school-provided lunches.
At San Diego Parks Foundation, we’re doing our best to change that. We’re committed to ensuring that kids from all different parts of our communities live healthy lives, inside and out. We want them to have access to nutritious food that will give their bodies the fuel they need to engage in fun outdoor activities. Luckily, there are community partners like Albertsons who are helping us fill that need.
Earlier this month, through their “Nourishing Neighbors” initiative, Albertsons Companies provided our organization with a generous grant to provide healthy meals to campers who are participating in “Come Play Outside” summer programs. The initiative is part of Mayor Todd Gloria’s “Summer for All of Us” program and made possible by Chair Nathan Fletcher, Supervisor of San Diego County’s Fourth District and the generosity of Price Philanthropies, Albertsons Foundation, Hervey Family Foundation, the Walter J. and Betty C. Zable Foundation and the Walmart Foundation.
With many relief organizations continuing to be overloaded by increased hunger issues caused by the pandemic, Albertsons Companies’ support comes at a critical time. For more than a year, most of these children have been stuck inside their homes, attending virtual school, and missing out on friendships. As a result, their Nourishing Neighbors contribution will enable us to serve meals to more than 10,000 children throughout San Diego County, many of whom are impacted by food insecurity.
We are endlessly grateful for Albertsons Companies’ partnership and appreciate their ongoing commitment for the betterment of kids who may otherwise go hungry. With their help, the Summer of 2021 is shaping up to be one that is nourishing thousands of little hearts, minds, and bodies; one that is certainly to be enjoyed by all!