Closing the Summer Meal Gap during COVID-19: AtlantiCare’s Free Summer Meals for Children and Teens

ABSTRACT Many residents of Atlantic City, New Jersey, a food desert, experience food insecurity. COVID-19, along with summer school closures, compounds this problem. AtlantiCare’s Free Summer Meals for Children and Teens helps combat this crisis. This case study provides an overview of the programs and descriptive statistics highlighting participants and their perceptions. Data indicate a positive experience and a high impact on their food insecurity, nutrition, physical and mental health, quality of time with friends and family, and writing and reading skills. This article illustrates how AtlantiCare is helping to close the meal gap and identifies the need for future efforts.