It's not too late to promote the Summer Meals Program!
The summer season is a crucial time of year for many children across the country. During the school year, 21 million children receive free and reduced priced meals through the School Breakfast and National School Lunch Programs (NSLP). However, when school is out, many low income children relying on these school meals go hungry. To fill this gap, the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides federally funded meals through the summer meals programs, including the Summer Food Service Program and the NSLP Seamless Summer Option. These programs provide free, nutritious summer meals to children at approved sites in areas with high concentrations of low income children. Unfortunately, these summer meals reach only about 16 percent of the eligible children.
How can you help?
City Officials have the opportunity and ability to make real contributions towards the success of the summer meals programs. Throughout the nation, communities with elected leaders who have expressed strong support for the summer meals programs have shown increases in participation. City officials and city staff participating in and promoting summer kickoff events in their home districts can greatly assist in the summer efforts.
The USDA has a variety of materials available to promote the Summer Meals programs:
- Flyer – English / Spanish
- Customizable Flyer – English / Spanish
- Tear-Off Flyer – English & Spanish
- Postcard – English & Spanish
- Bookmark – English & Spanish
- Social media and web (660 x 660 pixels) – English / Spanish
- Social media and web (400 x 266 pixels) – English / Spanish
- Facebook (1001 x 1001 pixels) – English / Spanish
- Summer Food Service Program Fact Sheet
