As the school year enters it’s final stretch before May comes around, many students are looking forward to their summer vacation.

Pearl River County children are now planning out long lazy days of carefree bike rides, playground fun and any other activity their imaginations can devise.

Some families may be planning a long vacation to a far off place.

Other households may just find it hard to ensure their children are supervised while the adults hold down jobs to keep the bills paid.

However, there are far too many households that have larger worries than where they will vacation this year or if a babysitter is available. For these families, their focus will be on finding some kind of way to feed their children while school is out.

According to feedingamerica.org, about 12.9 million children go hungry in this state, meaning one in six children deal with hunger. This problem is exacerbated when school is out and the child no longer has access to those meals.

Of the households within Mississippi participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, more than 42 percent include children.

These facts create a startling picture of a state with a high level of food insecurity, which is when a household does not have sufficient food to feed all of the people within.

That’s where the summer feeding program comes in.

By offering lunches to all children within the area during most of the summer, our less fortunate children in the Picayune area will be assured a nutritious meal.

It’s unfortunate that there is a need for free lunches during the summer, but the truth is, without those meals many children in this state may go hungry.

We commend the efforts of the Picayune School District for seeking out this funding to ensure children who need them, can find a meal during the summer.