After three years of growth, national participation in the Summer Nutrition Program plateaued last summer. Rachel Olive is the executive director for Hunger Free Heartland and says Nebraska is in the bottom ten of states when it comes to participation.
Olive says one in five kids in Nebraska qualify for the free school lunch program. Only 8.5% of those kids are taking advantage.
Olive says they are working to spread the word that this program is available and to urge people to go.
When it comes to summer meal program participation, Nebraska is ranked 46th.
