LaniChung

1EUniversityParkwayUnit102
Baltimore,Maryland21218
8083929783
lchung9@jhu.edu
DearEditor,
Thepurposeofthisletteristohighlighttheimportanceofmealprogramsduringthesummer,
andtoadvocateforanexpansionofalreadyexistingprogramsthroughlegislationsuchasthe
SummerMealsActof2014.FormanylowincomefamiliesintheUnitedStates,summerbreak
signalsthebeginningoftightbudgetsandanincreasedpossibilityofgoinghungry.Thisis
becauseschoolshavethedualfunctionofservingasbothaneducationalandamealproviding
facility.InMarylandalone,thereareapproximately246,000childrenwhodependontheir
schoolstoprovidefreeorreducedpricemealsduringtheschoolyear.Sowhenschoolletsout
forthesummer,lowincomefamiliescanstruggletokeeptheirchildrenproperlyfed,whichcan
bedetrimentaltothehealthofdevelopingyouths.
Summerhungeristhereforearealandpressingissuethatmustbeaddressed.Oneveryeffective
solutiontothishugeproblemistheimplementationofsummermealprogramsthatworkto
ensurecontinuityintheavailabilityoffreeorreducedmealswhileschoolisnotinsession.These
programscanbehelpfulinavarietyofdifferentwaysthatgobeyondjustsatiatingchildhood
hunger.Oftentimes,summermealprogramsarepairedwitheducationalandenrichment
opportunitiesforstudentswhoutilizethem,whichcanhelptopreventsummerlearningloss,and
alsokeepchildrensafewhiletheyarenotinaformalschoolsetting.
Itisclearthatsummermealprogramsareanincrediblycrucialmeansofpreventinghungerand
promotingsummerenrichment.However,legislationssuchastheSummerMealsActof2014
whichwasdesignedtoenactamultitudeofpositivechangesinsupportofexpandingcurrently
existingsummermealprogramshavefailedtosuccessfullypassthroughCongress.Giventhe
largesocietalbenefitsthatcanbeattainedthroughenhancedsummermealprograms,itis
importantthatsuchprogramsaresupportedandinvestedin.Therefore,Ibelievethatitis
necessarytoreconsidersuchlegislationforthesakeofneedyfamiliesacrossthenation,andthe
childrenofAmericawhowillgrowuptotakeourplaceasthenextgenerationofleaders.
Sincerely,
LaniChung
UndergraduateStudent
PublicHealthStudies
JohnsHopkinsUniversity
Baltimore,MD