With 15 Million Kids Expected to Go Hungry This
Summer,
Boys & Girls Clubs of America Partners with Morgan Stanley to Launch
“Million Meal Summer” Program
Program to Provide 1 Million Meals to Boys & Girls Club Members at 200
Sites Nationwide
ATLANTA, June 12, 2009 –
In an effort to feed the millions of young people expected to miss meals
or go hungry this summer, Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) announced today a
partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) to provide more
than a million meals to children this summer. Through a donation from
the Morgan Stanley Foundation to BGCA, the “Million Meal Summer” program
will dispense more than 1 million wholesome, free meals and snacks to
children this summer who typically receive subsidized meals during the
school year.
In conjunction with providing meals and snacks, the Morgan Stanley
Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian will offer comprehensive
nutritional information for all participants to take home to parents.
“This summer, nearly 15 million school children in this country will go
without the lunchtime meals provided to them during the school year,”
said John J. Mack, Chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley. “The reason we
are doing this is quite simple. Faced with the current economic
challenges, many families are struggling to provide their children with
healthy meals. It is part of our Firm’s culture to act when we learn
that one out of six children in the U.S. will not be getting enough to
eat.”
Boys & Girls Clubs of America, through its summer programs and network
of more than 4,300 community-based Clubs, will distribute meals to
hungry children.
“We are extremely grateful to the Morgan Stanley Foundation for their
generous support that will ensure the young people we serve this summer
will not go hungry,” said Roxanne Spillett, president and CEO, Boys &
Girls Clubs of America. “The economic downturn that has impacted the
entire country has been deeply felt by our Clubs, and many summer food
programs have been placed in jeopardy. Hopefully others will follow
Morgan Stanley’s lead.”
During the school year, more than half of the 31 million children who
participate in the National School Lunch Program are low-income. Last
year, the Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program for
Children (SFSP) provided nearly 130 million meals to 2.1 million
children across the country. The program reimburses organizations for
meals served, but often does not cover the infrastructure or programming
costs organizations incur when operating a summer program for children.
“The Summer Food Service Program is a vital nutrition resource during
the months students are not in school,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom
Vilsack. “We know that there are many children who need nutritious food
but don’t have access to a program in their area. We need more
organizations to sponsor sites and sponsors need additional resources
from the community in order to succeed in reaching children who need
meals. Ongoing partnerships like this one are key to making sure our
children have healthy meals during the school year, during the summer
months, and all year long.”
For more than 30 years, Morgan Stanley has invested in innovative
pediatric care through the Firm’s signature Global Alliance for
Children’s Health program. For more information on the Morgan Stanley
Foundation and its programs, please visit
www.morganstanley.com/globalcitizen.
About Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a
wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and
wealth management services. The Firm's employees serve clients worldwide
including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals from
more than 600 offices in 36 countries. For further information about
Morgan Stanley, please visit
www.morganstanley.com.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org)
has helped kids "Be Great," providing hope and opportunity for those who
need it most. Today, more than 4,300 Clubs serve some 4.8 million young
people through Club membership and community outreach. Known as The
Positive Place for Kids, Boys & Girls Clubs can be found throughout the
country and on U.S. military bases worldwide,
Clubs provide young people 6-18 years old with guidance-oriented
character development programs conducted by trained, professional staff.
In communities large and small, Clubs positively impact lives and help
young people reach their full potential as productive, caring citizens.
Key Boys & Girls Club programs emphasize leadership development;
education and career exploration; community service; financial literacy;
health and life skills; the arts; sports, fitness and recreation; and
family outreach. In a recent Harris Survey of Club alumni, 57 percent
said the Club saved their life. National headquarters are located in
Atlanta.
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