{"id":11453,"date":"2020-05-27T11:16:16","date_gmt":"2020-05-27T11:16:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/utah\/?p=11453"},"modified":"2025-04-04T19:15:44","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T19:15:44","slug":"this-month-thankahungerhero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/utah\/2020\/05\/27\/this-month-thankahungerhero\/","title":{"rendered":"BLOG: This month, #ThankAHungerHero"},"content":{"rendered":"

The coronavirus pandemic has had a catastrophic impact on families throughout the country. In Utah, school closures mean that the over 226,000 kids who rely on school meals are at risk for going without the food they\u2019ve depended on during the school year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When their communities needed them more than ever, schools, food banks, pantries, and community organizations all across the state stepped up in incredible ways. Because of them, kids throughout Utah have remained nourished during the crisis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These frontline hunger heroes – school nutrition and transportation professionals, community leaders, administrators, teachers, and volunteers – have done everything they can to ensure that kids continue to have access to meals. They\u2019ve worked tirelessly, often for longer shifts and without days off. They\u2019ve also found creative ways to get meals to kids, providing curb-side meal pick-up, and delivering sack lunches directly to kids\u2019 homes. These hunger heroes have shown tremendous dedication over the past weeks, all while juggling mounting stress and uncertainty.<\/span><\/p>\n

Given the extraordinary need that families are experiencing, we urge our legislators to prioritize food access for vulnerable families and their children. No Kid Hungry has developed a new resource \u2013 <\/span>Supporting school, communities, and Nutrition Programs During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Recommended State Policy Actions<\/span><\/a> \u2013 that list options available to state policymakers to unlock the potential of federal and state food nutrition programs and ensure that families and children have the support they need. Since the pandemic began, No Kid Hungry Utah has provided over $140,000<\/strong> in emergency grants to support the work our hunger heroes are doing across the state. This month, we want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.<\/span><\/p>\n