Bold Goals Coalition of Central Alabama needs your help to end summer hunger

The Bold Goals Coalition of Central Alabama has launched the End Summer Hunger campaign.

According to the Coalition, thousands of children in Central Alabama rely on summer feeding program meals as their only source of a nutritious meal until school begins in August. Earlier this month, the Bold Goals Coalition announced that it needs to raise at least $50,000 before the end of August to fund the END SUMMER HUNGER programs.

For the past several years, Bold Goals partners have leveraged federal funds and coordinated a summer meal network to ensure that children in our area have year-round access to food.

The need is great and staggering

This year, the Coalition has 14 meal distribution sites serving approximately 70,000 meals to more than 1,100 children. Despite that enormous effort, thousands more children in Central Alabama still need access to summer feeding programs.

“Our goal is to ensure that growing children have year-round access to healthy, nutritious food,” said Sara Newell, Sr. VP, Community Impact.” Bold Goals today launched its fundraising campaign to expand the summer meal program and implement strategies to fill in the feeding gap for children from low-income homes the five county area.”

One of the places children can get summer meals is at their local YMCA in Jefferson County.

“It’s a blessing that we’re able to have this program going on here and that these kids are able to at least get some of their nutrients here at the YMCA while they’re having fun,” said Beau Walker, Sports Coordinator at the YMCA Youth Center in Birmingham. “About 150 kids have been served lunch per day [this summer].

Donations will go directly toward ending children’s hunger, creating a healthier summer and helping them be better prepared for school in the fall.
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For more information or to make a secure, tax-deductible donation online, visit www.boldgoals.org/endsummerhunger .

More about the Bold Goals Coalition

The Bold Goals Coalition is a community-based initiative to align efforts aimed at addressing disparities in education, health and financial stability in the Central Alabama region (consisting of Blount, Jefferson, Shelby, St.Clair and Walker counties). Impact-area workgroups are made up of key regional leaders from businesses, non-profits, government and education systems. These workgroups are committed to fostering change by examining root causes, establishing common, measurable goals and aligning current efforts. Learn more at www.boldgoals.org.