Summer Food Service Program

Posted by on June 22, 2009

Food Service Program helps feed children in summer

Each summer, 18 million students are at risk of going hungry when the school year ends and school lunches are no longer available.  For many children, school meals are the only complete and nutritious meals they eat, and in the summer they go without.  This summer, the need will likely increase.

The Summer Food Service Program can help to fill the summer meal gap for low-income children. Faith-based, community and private non-profit organizations can make a difference in the lives of hungry children by serving meals with SFSP, a federally funded program administered by states that reimburses organizations for meals served to children during the summer.

Schools, churches, recreation centers, playgrounds, parks, and camps can serve meals in neighborhoods with high percentages of low-income families.  These venues are safe and familiar locations where children naturally congregate during the summer.  There are two ways to get involved with the SFSP.  Organizations may become a SFSP site where meals are served, or a SFSP sponsor that both serves meals and keeps track of the accounting and paperwork. Sponsors are reimbursed for all meals served that meet USDA’s nutrition standards.

Click here to view a webinar presentation about participating in SFSP.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/outreach/sfsp_webinar.wmv

Additional information, resources about hosting a site and providing reimbursable meals, as well as SFSP contacts by state are available here.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Summer/