School is Out. Hunger Is Not.

During the school year, breakfast and lunch programs help feed children whose families are struggling to make ends meet. Yet when schools close for summer break, those meals disappear and too many families lose access to one of the most dependable sources of nutrition for their children.

Childhood hunger is often portrayed as an urban or rural issue, and rarely do we think of children in suburban classrooms quietly depending on school lunches to stay fed.

But hidden behind neatly trimmed lawns, cul-de-sacs, and highly rated school districts is a reality many people never see – suburban hunger that exists in affluent areas surrounding Denver, where some family grocery budgets stretch beyond their limits with the arrival of summer. 

Children’s nutritional needs do not pause for summer vacation.

Let’s look at a few reasons why suburban hunger rises in the summer, and what you can do to help.

Child Care Expenses, Such as Camps

Many families of school-age kids don’t pay for child care while school is in session. Working parents often don’t have family members they can rely on to help with summer child care, and affordable options such as church camps seldom run from early in the morning to into the afternoon. 

When summer rolls around, these parents must pay for care that can include expensive summer camps, which typically charge more to cover the hours needed for parents working a full-time job.

So they must shoulder the cost of paying for what can easily total thousands of dollars over the summer months for multiple children. Day camps that include breakfast or lunch cost more than those requiring children to bring a packed lunch.

That can mean that little money is left for groceries at the end of the month for families who also might be dealing with financial pressures such as a high mortgage or a steep rent increase.

Difficulty Getting to Sites Offering Free Lunches

The area that SECOR Cares serves, which is Douglas, Arapahoe, and Elbert counties, is fortunate that many local school districts serve free lunches.

For example, Douglas County School District Nutrition Services serves free lunches in June and July for all children 18 and under. They serve lunch at 12 locations around the county.

Cherry Creek schools have four free-lunch locations and distribute family care packs, which include two weeks of pantry foods such as beans, vegetables, grains, and pasta, as well as one month of personal hygiene items including toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, and soap.

Aurora Public Schools offers the most locations for free lunch in our area, and also gives away seven-day meal kits that include seven breakfasts and seven lunches at some of its spots.

These free lunch programs are a life-saver for many families who rely on Colorado’s free-school-lunch program for all students, regardless of family income.

But unlike densely populated urban areas, these meal sites are not within walking distance for many suburban children. Public transportation may be limited or nonexistent. 

Feeding America has reported that five out of six children who receive school meals during the school year do not access summer meal programs once classes end. 

Transportation barriers, lack of awareness, inconvenient schedules, and the stigma associated with asking for help often prevent families from participating.

To find summer meal sites anywhere in Colorado, visit kidsfoodfinder.org or text Food or Comida to 304-304.

Colorado’s Summer EBT program gives families a one-time $120 grocery benefit for each eligible child over the summer when kids aren’t getting the meals they usually eat at school.

Most eligible children are automatically enrolled, but some will need to apply.

Use the Summer EBT Enrollment Checker to see if your child is already enrolled or if you need to apply for 2026 benefits. Visit co.gov/sebt to find the most up-to-date program information, and check out the online portal to manage Summer EBT benefits.

Hunger Does Not Discriminate by ZIP Code

Food insecurity affects children in every type of community. Feeding America's 2025 Map the Meal Gap study found that about 14 million children experienced food insecurity in 2023, the highest level in nearly a decade. The organization stressed that no community is immune from hunger and that children across the country remain vulnerable when school is out of session.

In our area, where the study recorded the food insecurity rate in Douglas County at 8.4%; in Arapahoe County at 11.8%; and Elbert County at 8.2%.

The family struggling to afford groceries may live next door. The child attending summer baseball practice may not have eaten breakfast. The student sharing vacation plans may, in reality, be spending the summer at home while parents work extra shifts to keep food on the table.

During the school year, our Food for Thought Program sends 2,000 bags of groceries EACH WEEK home in children’s backpacks in five local school districts. During the summer months, when we see more children in our free food market, we shift our partnership to distribute bags at Aurora and Cherry Creek school district sites for free lunches. 

Summer should not be a season marked by anxiety over basic necessities. School may be out, but hunger is not.

Would you consider a gift of $20 to fill two bags of groceries for kids so they can eat on the weekend?