JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Southeastern Grocers Inc., parent company and home of Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, together with the SEG Gives Foundation, has launched a new “Break from Hunger” program to provide accessible, healthy meal options to ensure no child goes hungry.

Now through Labor Day, customers and associates ages 17 and younger can purchase a specially prepared “Student Summer Lunch Pack” meal box at the deli department for $2, the company announced July 29.

Each meal box includes either a sandwich (ham or turkey), chips, a fresh fruit item, and a bottle of water.

According to Feeding America, one in six children across the United States might experience food insecurity. As the back-to-school season approaches, it is crucial to help alleviate this issue, as insufficient nutrition can damage a child’s growth and development and can negatively impact their ability to thrive in academic and social situations.

The “Student Summer Lunch Packs” program allows SEG to expand its support for combating hunger in the Southeast and provide relief to customers at a time most needed.

Raymond Rhee, Chief People Officer of Southeastern Grocers, said, “The challenges that our communities have faced during these past few years have magnified the struggle of many families to feed their children during the summer months,” said Raymond Rhee, SEG’s chief people officer. “We want to do everything we can to get food on the tables of our neighbors who need a helping hand – now more than ever.”

Each of the five Southeastern states SEG serves (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi) rank among the top 20 in child poverty rates, and three states falling are within the top five. SEG and the SEG Gives Foundation remain steadfast in their commitment to giving back to local communities in great times of need.

Recently, the grocer and its charitable arm donated $140,000 to seven Feeding America network food banks in the Southeast to directly help fund hunger-relief initiatives. Additionally, last year alone, SEG and the SEG Gives Foundation donated more than $700,000 back into local communities to help alleviate food insecurity.