The YMCA of Metro North will expand its summer food program to Peaboady and Saugus to combat an increase in food insecurity caused by COVID-19.
In addition to its existing centers in Lynn, the program now operates five distribution sites throughout the three communities. A press release from the organization said the YMCA of Metro North will be equipped to serve more than 500 meals a day to children in its service areas.
“We had planned a regional expansion of our food program for some time,” said Lynn YMCA Executive Director Andrea Baez. “The COVID crisis brought into sharp focus the social and economic inequities plaguing our communities, and basic food for kids is one of the most urgent needs right now. We want to see our kids grow up strong, and nutrition is a major component of creating that outcome.”
In a May 21 report, U.S. hunger relief organization, Feeding America, projected that one in eight people in Eastern Massachusetts will experience food insecurity this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic — a 59 percent increase from pre-pandemic times.
Rising food prices have only exacerbated the problem, making affordable food hard to come by for out-of-work or otherwise struggling households.
YMCA of Metro North’s current food program expansion was developed in partnership with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and its Summer Eats program, which has provided food assistance to low-income families for more than 50 years.
The association has also received funding from the $6.1 million Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund, which is operated through the Essex County Community Foundation.
“We see the number of requests for food growing every day,” said Jen Conway, executive director of the Saugus Family YMCA. “I’ve had parents tell me they are relying on Dollar Tree to feed their kids on a budget. Some of these parents are managing two or three jobs to make it all work, and this way they can spend their funds on other necessities for the kids.”
Summer food distribution efforts were expanded mid-July and provide a mix of breakfast and lunch at all program locations Monday through Friday. No registration or IDs are needed for children to receive meals.
“I can’t predict what will happen with COVID-19 in the near future, but I do know that the need for food programs will not change any time soon,” said YMCA of Metro North President Kathleen Walsh. “Even if the economy does hit Phase 4, food insecurity was on the rise before the pandemic.
“More partnership and funding for this program will be crucial in the long road ahead to a ‘new normal.’ Kids are going to need this safety net more than ever, especially with school openings postponed.”
More details about the program are available at ymcametronorth.org.
