Horizons Savannah Receives $1,500 Grant from Share Our Strength’s Georgia "No Kid Hungry" Campaign

June 13, 2012 - PRLog -- (SAVANNAH, GA) – Horizons Savannah has received a $1,500 grant from Share Our Strength’s  Georgia No Kid Hungry Campaign. The grant will be used to to support Horizons’ Summer Meals Program for the upcoming summer session. http://horizonssavannah.org/

For many kids, summertime means food, friends and fun. For families who count on school breakfast and lunch, however, the summer months can be a stressful time when family food budgets must stretch even further.

Summer is also a critical time for kids and teens’ academic and physical development. During the summer, they can lose out on several months of learning and physical activity that they would normally get at school.

There’s good news for children participating in Horizons Savannah’s summer academic enrichment program this year: free summer meals will be served to students ages 18 and younger. Through a partnership with America’s Second Harvest, the meals are provided at no cost to the organization. Grant funds will be used support the cost of staff to distribute the meals. Similar to school lunch and breakfast programs, these meals will be free to all participating Horizons Savannah students.

Because Horizons Savannah students also take swimming lessons 2-3 times per week and participate in recreational activities every day, this means they can get the same nutrients that they get during the school year while staying active. Here are more details about the National Summer Meals program available at many sites around the area this summer:

-FREE to children ages 18 and under
-Healthy meals based on USDA nutrition guidelines
-Served at sites such as schools and churches that may offer learning and recreational activities
-Fun, safe place for kids and teens to be active and visit with friends
-Help families save money
-No application or proof of income needed

“While our site is only open to Horizons students, there are many other sites around Savannah that offer the same nutritious and free meals over the summer. I encourage parents to take advantage of this resource and keep your kids healthy and active over the summer months” says Horizons Savannah Executive Director Christy Edwards.  

Summertime should be a stress-free time full of food, friends and fun.  Free summer meals can help.  Go to www.NoKidHungry.org/Georgia to learn more about the partnership. Visit www.Strength.org to learn more about Share Our Strength.

About Horizons Savannah
Recognized as one of America’s best summer learning programs, Horizons at Savannah Country Day School welcomes about 150 low-income, public elementary and middle school students each summer to the campuses of Savannah Country Day School and Bethesda Academy. Horizons’ six-week summer enrichment program for low-income students helps prevent “summer slide”– the loss of learning that occurs during summer months. Horizons’ efforts are aimed at eliminating the achievement gap for low-income students in Savannah. By providing a safe and nurturing environment, recreational and cultural activities, nutritious meals and snacks, caring professional teachers and creative, challenging instruction, we unlock a student’s potential to achieve. Last summer, students gained an average of three months’ growth in reading and four months growth in math. For more information, please contact Horizons Savannah Executive Director Christy Edwards at 912-961-8854, info@horizonssavannah.org, please visit our website at http://horizonssavannah.org/