For many local families, summer vacation brings more than sunshine and free time, it also brings worry about how to feed their children. When school lets out, the free and reduced-price lunches that many students rely on disappear, leaving a gap that can be hard to fill.
The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry (MKIFP) is working hard to close that gap with its School’s Out Supplement (SOS) program. Now in its sixth year, SOS provides families with school-aged children (ages 2–17) with weekly bags of kid-friendly groceries for the 10 weeks that school is out.
“With food insecurity on the rise in northern Westchester, it’s more important than ever to reduce the negative impact on children who aren’t receiving school lunches during the summer months,” said Pantry Executive Director Trina Ward Fontaine. “Last year, we served more than 5,300 children through this program and this year we’re prepared to help even more.”
Each SOS grocery bag is packed with nutritious, easy-to-prepare foods that kids love that help make summer meals enjoyable for them and less stressful for parents.
One grateful parent put it simply: “I’m so grateful to receive the lunch items since my kids are home all day and are so hungry.”
The numbers behind the program tell a powerful story:
23,691 children have been served since SOS began in 2019.
In summer 2024, 5,399 children benefited from SOS, a 13% increase over 2023 and the most in the program’s history.
Last summer, the Pantry distributed enough food through SOS to make 16,197 meals.
Every family that visits the Pantry’s distribution center receives groceries for about 12 meals per person each week. SOS families receive food for an additional three meals per child, totaling about 15 meals per week per child during the summer months.
“The total value of food provided through SOS last summer was nearly $41,000, including the value of generous in-kind donations,” said Ward Fontaine.
This year’s SOS program runs from now through Aug. 28 and is partially funded by a $5,000 grant from St. John’s Youth Empowerment Council in Larchmont.
To help ensure local children enjoy nutritious meals all summer long, consider donating at mountkiscofoodpantry.org/donate-now.
The Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry is a community-driven organization dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of northern Westchester residents by providing weekly nutritious food and complementary education and services to those in need. With the support of community and congregational partners, the Pantry honors the dignity of those it serves and continues to innovate in the fight against hunger.
In its 34-year history, the Pantry has grown to serve an average of 700 families weekly across 21 northern Westchester communities. Through thrice-weekly in-person and bi-weekly home delivery distributions, the Pantry nourishes over 2,000 individuals every week.
