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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Massachusetts Treading Water on Summer Meals for Kids

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Thursday, June 4, 2015   

BOSTON – Summer months can be lots of fun, but efforts are under way to ensure they don't leave more children in the Commonwealth going hungry.

Ellen Parker, executive director of the anti-hunger group Project Bread, says a new report indicates that the state slipped out of the top 10 in providing children access to summer meals.

She says that is mostly because other states are doing better.

Bottom line – she says Project Bread does know what works in the Bay State, and it is serving more children than ever.

"The food has to be surrounded by fun,” Parker states. “They learn to do things. The girls are learning to sew, and they have a fashion show. It's all about the activities. "

The report from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) finds on the average day last summer more than 3 million children took advantage of free lunch programs. That's an increase of more than 200,000 nationwide from the year before.

Parker says New England states have a long history of handling issues at the town and county level, and that impacts how the state performs.

"We have almost 400 cities and towns to work with when many other states have 10 counties,” she explains. “So, that can be a bit of a challenge because there is so much autonomy here. "

One of the items pending in Congress this year is renewal of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act.

FRAC is recommending continued investments to get nutritious meals to children while they are in school.




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