The OYH Summer Challenge will provide matching funding in July in a statewide opportunity carried out in partnership with Hunger Solutions of Minnesota. Each participating food shelf, including Hastings Family Service, tracks monetary donations during July and receives a proportional match based on the amount raised. The more funds donated to HFS in July, the larger the matching grant from Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless will be. Schools play a major role in feeding hungry kids during the school year, but when summer comes and school is out, many kids go without. According to Amy Sutton, Associate Director at Hastings Family Service, Summer is one of the busiest times in the food shelf because families with children must provide more meals at home and often have increased child care expenses as well. Tight budgets get stretched even further. At Hastings Family Service, children make up 45 percent of the hungry who visit the food shelf. Open Your Heart reports that food shelves serve over 3,500 children every day in Minnesota, and one in five families with children in the Twin Cities face hunger or food insecurity every day. According to Sutton, the OYH Summer Challenge is a partnership that helps to keep the Market also known as the HFS food shelf, stocked with nutritious, fresh foods for families. Hastings Family Service received a proportional match of $4,500 last year. Imagine a child not having milk for their cereal or to drink with their lunch, said Sutton. HFS could purchase more than 2,000 gallons of milk with those matching dollars. The OYH Summer Challenge makes a BIG difference in our ability to provide families with the help they need. Every dollar donated to HFS through July 31st will count toward the proportional match. Go to www.hastingsfamilyservice.org or contact: Amy Sutton, Hastings Family Service amysutton@hastingsfamilyservice.org
