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If you are among those who think hunger is a condition that exists only in poor countries—remote parts of the world with limited resources—think again. Although the United States is one of the world’s wealthiest nations, one in four U.S. children goes to bed hungry one or more nights each year—a condition defined as food insecurity. Nearly 20 percent of children in seven U.S. states and the District of Columbia live in households without adequate food supplies. And with summer just around the corner and school lunch programs coming to an end, the situation is about to get worse.

Administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) the National School Lunch Program provides low-cost or free lunches to more than 30 million children a day nationwide—children from families with incomes at or below 130 to 185 percent of the poverty level. But what happens to those children when the school year ends?

In 2009, among families with children seeking services at emergency feeding sites, 62 percent participated in the National School Lunch Program and 53 percent participated in the School Breakfast Program, but only 14 percent participated in the Summer Food Service Program. Research shows that children who go hungry during the summer months are less likely to perform well once school begins. Hunger affects not only their ability to learn but their overall health and development. It increases the risk for slower growth and brain development, fatigue and concentration issues, psychosocial and behavioral issues, and much more.

The Summer Food Service Program—designed to fill that nutritional gap—provides over two million students with breakfasts, lunches, or snacks during the summer months. It currently serves just over six percent of students in need of summer meals. It’s a start. But what happens to the rest of the children in need of food?

Enter companies like Revolution Foods which serves 50,000 meals a day to participating schools during the school year and which plans to serve 7,000 families a day this summer at two feeding sites. “Our students are the neediest out there. Eighty percent are free-lunch students, precisely the students who are unable to access federally-subsidized lunches, breakfasts, and snacks during the summer,” says co-founder Kristin Richmond.

Unfortunately, there aren’t enough organizations and companies like Revolution Foods with the means to provide healthy meals for children year round. According to the USDA, low participation in the Summer Food Service Program is due mainly to a lack of feeding sites. The lack of sponsors (usually non-profit organizations) is due in part to organizations feeling the pinch of the recession. The end result is that many more children are at risk of going hungry this summer.

The right stuff
To compound the issue, it’s not just about getting enough to eat but about getting the right stuff to eat. According to Revolution Foods, U.S. children currently get 50 percent of their calories from added fats and sugars. It’s no wonder today’s generation are predicated to be the first to die at a younger age than their parents due to obesity-related health issues.

Revolution Foods, in partnership with Whole Foods and other natural food providers, serves students in participating schools only all-natural foods. Their meal plans offer affordable breakfasts, snacks, and lunches to kids who need it most—communities with the highest obesity rates and the lowest income levels. The results speak for themselves—participating schools report higher attention levels in the classroom, less disciplinary problems, and sustained weight loss among its students.

Now more than ever, parents need to introduce healthy meals at home and support healthy food plans in their schools. As a nation, we need to invest in federally-funded health education and food service plans to make the right foods more affordable and accessible—to all children—year round. Congress is scheduled to reauthorize child nutrition programs this September. Meanwhile, the senate is sitting on the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act 2010, which would offer an additional $4.5 billion to child-nutrition programs over the next 10 years and require new nutrition standards for all food served in schools. The time to act is now. Kids shouldn’t have to wait.

Click here to learn more about the Summer Food Service Program and how you—or an organization you know—can become a sponsor or feeding site for children this summer.