Enrollment has swelled in summer meal programs around Vermont. The Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger says that a dozen years ago, only about 800 children took part in summer meal programs. By the end of last year, that number had risen to more than 5,000.
A new report from a federal anti-hunger group used to rank Vermont near the bottom nationwide for its meal programs but this year it says Vermont ranks fourteenth nationally for its summer meals for children. The Campaign to End Childhood Hunger says the increase in enrollment is due to the fact that many towns, schools and community groups started offering the meal programs over the last decade.
Many of those programs include transportation and other activities for the children.