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Now's the Time to Think About 
Outreach for Summer Meals
 

  
Food That’s In When
School is Out

During the school year, many children receive free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch through the School Breakfast and National School Lunch Programs. What happens when school lets out? Hunger is one of the most severe roadblocks to the learning process. Lack of nutrition during the summer months may set up a cycle for poor performance once school begins again. Hunger also may make children more prone to illness and other health issues. The Summer Food Service Program is designed to fill that nutrition gap and make sure children can get the nutritious meals they need. Want to help end hunger this  summer? Here are a few ways you can help:

	Find Meals for Children
	To find meals and sites in your community, call the National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE. By calling this toll free number, you will be given information on where you can find summer sites in your area, as well as additional food assistance information.
	Become a Sponsor
	Being a sponsor requires the highest level of commitment. Sponsoring means acting as the organizer for the Summer Food Service Program sites. Public or private non-profit schools, local, municipal, county, tribal or state government, private non-profits, public or private non-profit camps, and private or non-profit universities or colleges are examples of local organizations that often serve as Summer Food Service Program sponsors. Sponsors must be able to provide a capable staff, managerial skills, and food service capabilities. A sponsor may provide its own meals, purchase meals through an agreement with an area school, or contract for meals with a food vendor. Be sure to register your summer feeding sites for the National Hunger Hotline at: http://www.whyhunger.org/findfood
	Open a Feeding Site
	The Summer Food Service Program reaches only a fraction of the children in need. The primary reason for the limited access to the program is that there are not enough feeding sites. Your community building or place of faith could become a feeding site. Sites are the physical locations were food is served. Each site location must work with a Summer Food Service Program sponsor that is financially and administratively responsible for the meal service at the site. You can also help by coordinating site participation with other youth activity programs in your area. Be sure to register your summer feeding sites for the National Hunger Hotline at: http://www.whyhunger.org/findfood
	Volunteer
	While feeding children is the top priority of the Summer Food Service Program, programming is what keeps children coming back. This takes volunteers – and LOTS of them – especially in June, July and August. Volunteers can help with basics like transporting food, setting up or cleaning up a site—they also plan and do educational or recreational activities with the children. We encourage Summer Food Service Program sponsors and sites to register their volunteer opportunities with www.serve.gov/endhunger. This website allows volunteer opportunities to be posted, as well as allows volunteers to search for opportunities. Go to www.serve.gov/endhunger to post or search for opportunities today!
	Share
	Tell others how the Summer Food Service Program helps feed hungry children and discuss how they or their organization can help. The more people know about the issues, the more likely they are to take action to help end hunger or know how to help their own children.

Last modified: 02/11/2013