ROCHESTER, N.Y. — For kids like Meiweur Tuyisingize, summer has its own meaning.

“I have fun with my friends, we eat, we enjoyed and it was very good,” said Meiweur, a participant in Agape Haven of Abundance Community Outreach and Resource Center’s Summer Enrichment Program.

But for families who rely on schools to help give their children nutritious meals, summer can mean something different. 

What You Need To Know

  • When school lets out for the summer, kids lose access to at least two healthy meals each day

  • Agape Haven of Abundance Community Outreach and Resource Center is helping combat food deserts by keep children fed through food distribution and their summer enrichment program

  • Children in the program recieve lunches Monday through Friday and Agape Haven of Abundance also does food distributions to the community to ensure families are fed

“As parents, some of the time we may not know exactly how to give them the right food, you understand? But these people, they know what they are doing,” said Christophe Tuyisingize, Meiweur’s father.

Agape Haven of Abundance Community Outreach and Resource Center is helping combat food deserts by keep children fed through food distribution and their summer enrichment program.

“A lot of times when they come for the food through our afterschool program, they verbalize, like, 'when I go home I don’t have anything to eat,'” said Julia Oakley, executive director for Agape Haven of Abundance Community Outreach and Resource Center.

Which made them realize that supporting a child also means supporting the family.

“We realized we had to bridge that gap. So we’re servicing them here at the center, but when they go home, how can we also support them in their home environment and that’s how we’ve been able to implement and also increase our food distribution throughout the week,” said Oakley. 

Their Monday through Friday community food distribution is making a large impact — especially for refugee families like Meiweur’s.

“A lot of families are coming here in large numbers," said Oakley. "So you can have a household with nine children and them getting entry level positions, they’re not able to stretch those dollars enough to make sure all nine children are fed."

“They can compliment, you know, they can add to what we are lacking to give them. So whatever we are short of, they can complete,” said Christophe. 

Turning kids favorite meals into ones that are nutritious.

“I like McDonalds,” said Meiweur. “Apples, bananas … you eat like healthy foods and you make your energy grow bigger.”