Philabundance—joined by very special guest Denis McDonough, CEO of Feeding America—and The GIANT Company will celebrate the return of its annual Summer Lunchbox program with a kickoff event on Thursday, June 11, at 11 a.m. at Philabundance Community Kitchen (PCK), 2224 N. 10th Street, Philadelphia, PA
It will include a speaking program with remarks by Denis McDonough, Philabundance CEO Loree D. Jones Brown, and other speakers; a tasting of Lunchbox food made by Philabundance’s dedicated PCK team; and photo opportunities. When school cafeterias close their doors at the end of the school year, hundreds of students do not receive the nutritious meals they rely on during the academic year. The Summer Lunchbox program, now in its fourth year, aims to alleviate child hunger and support families in our community that are challenged with feeding their households while school is out of session. With GIANT’S support, Philabundance will provide 40,000 handmade lunch meals, 15,000 frozen breakfasts, and 20,000 hearty shelf-stable breakfast kits to more than 25 youth- serving community partners across the region. The Summer LunchBox program runs for 10 weeks, from June 15 through Aug. 21. “At GIANT, we believe summer is when kids should be dreaming big, trying new things, and just being kids—not worrying about where their next meal will come from,” said Courtney Hopcraft, manager of community relations and strategic partnerships, The GIANT Company. “With one out of every six children in the region facing food insecurity, we’re proud to support the LunchBox program again and partner with Philabundance to close the summer meal gap, providing nutritious and tasty breakfast and lunch meals to the kids who need them the most.” “We are all about fulfilling the need for students over the summer and providing them with fresh, healthy, nutritious breakfasts and lunches,” said PCK Director Marc BrownGold. “The need to provide supplemental food to our neighbors facing hunger is at a high. We are deeply grateful to GIANT for this longstanding partnership.”
This year’s meals include
- Roasted chicken and fresh veggie grain bowl
- Primavera pasta salad and fresh fruit
- Waffles with fresh berry compote
- Summer picnic box with fresh fruits and veggies, cheddar cheese, and turkey and pepperoni