Improving Summer Food Access for Families: Co-locating Summer Food Programs & Food Pantries in MI Children's Third Spaces 

The Challenge

Food insecurity among Michigan families skyrockets during the summer as children lose access to free breakfast, lunch, and snacks through their schools, Head Start programs, etc. Programs such as Meet Up and Eat Up alleviate some of this problem, but many families cannot easily access their meal sites. Further, single meals given to children only make a dent in families’ greater food needs. “Third spaces” are places outside of our homes and workplaces/schools that facilitate social interaction and sharing of resources. 

During the summer, children’s third spaces often include camps, community centers, religious institutions, and libraries. These third spaces present the ideal opportunity to co-locate family-friendly food pantries; however, staff and volunteers in these spaces often need support and connection to resources to make this happen.

The Impact

Children experiencing food insecurity spend lots of time over the summer in spaces around their communities that could be working to provide them sufficient access to healthy food. However, these community spaces often don’t have the resources, knowledge, or support to build sustainable pantries. This is a missed opportunity for reducing summer food insecurity.