Hunger Doesn’t Take a Summer Vacation

When school lets out for the summer, children across the country look forward to a break — time to rest, play, and enjoy the season.

But for millions of families, summer brings added pressure.

Without access to school-provided meals, many parents are left trying to replace breakfast and lunch each day — all while managing higher grocery bills, increased childcare costs, and already stretched budgets.

And for many, it’s not just a challenge — it’s a turning point.

Research shows that food insecurity increases when school is out of session.

The Summer Gap

This shift creates what many food pantries know all too well: the summer gap.

When school is out:

• Children lose access to consistent meals

• Household food costs rise

• More families turn to local pantries for support

And at the very same time, donations often begin to slow

It’s a predictable pattern — one that repeats every year and puts real strain on the organizations working to keep families fed. In fact, during the summer months, only about 15 out of every 100 children who receive free or reduced-price lunch during the school year continue to receive meals through summer programs.

That leaves a significant gap — one that families must find a way to fill.

What Pantries Experience

For local food pantries, summer is one of the most challenging times of year. Demand increases as more families walk through the door — many for the first time. Shelves empty faster. Supplies need to stretch further. But the resources needed to meet that demand don’t always keep pace.

Even in communities where summer meal programs exist, nearly half of families living nearby still experience food insecurity.

At many of our partner pantries, summer means a steady stream of new faces — parents doing everything they can to make up for the meals their children would normally receive at school. And with fewer donations coming in, food can disappear quickly. It’s a moment when the need feels both immediate and constant.

How PORCH Helps Fill the Gap

At PORCH Communities, we help ensure that pantries don’t face this challenge alone.

Through simple, monthly, neighborhood-based food collections, PORCH creates a steady, reliable stream of support for local pantries — one that doesn’t depend on seasons or one-time drives.

Neighbors sign up to donate once a month. Volunteers collect that food and deliver it directly to nearby pantries.

It’s a model built on three simple ideas:

• Local — communities supporting their own neighbors

• Consistent — donations collected month after month

• Reliable — pantries know they can count on it

Not just during the holidays. Not just in moments of crisis. But all year long.

Why Consistency Matters

When support is consistent, everything changes. Pantries can plan. Shelves stay stocked. Families can rely on the help they need — not just once, but again and again. And that consistency matters most in the summer — when other sources of support may fall short.

For the nearly 1 in 5 children in the U.S. who experience food insecurity, consistent access to food isn’t just helpful — it’s essential.

PORCH doesn’t replace the incredible work of our pantry partners. We strengthen it — ensuring they have a steady supply of food they can depend on, month after month.

Meeting the Need Means Growing the Network

While PORCH plays an important role in helping fill the summer gap, the reality is this:

We can only meet the growing need if we continue to grow our network.

Every new PORCH chapter means more neighborhoods engaged, more food collected each month, more reliable support for local pantries, more families who can count on having food on the table. And every existing chapter we strengthen becomes an even more dependable source of support for the communities it serves.

How You Can Help

This summer — and all year long — you can be part of the solution.

Your support helps PORCH:

• Launch new chapters in communities that need them

• Strengthen and expand existing programs

• Invest in the tools, training, and volunteers that keep food flowing month after month

While a single gift may not fill a pantry shelf overnight, it helps build something even more powerful — a sustainable, community-driven solution that delivers food consistently, for years to come.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors — Every Month

Hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation. But together, we can ensure that support doesn’t take one either.

👉 Make a Donation Today