For immediate release
Friday, February 16, 2018
Contact: Jacqueline Reis 781-338-3115
Summer Meals Program Will Target Childhood Hunger Summer Food Service Program to provide meals to tens of thousands of children
MALDEN – The Baker-Polito Administration, in collaboration with the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, will launch the 2018 Summer Food Service Program in June. The program is a federally-funded initiative that addresses the summer child hunger gap by providing free, nutritious meals to children who might not otherwise have healthy food when school is not in session.
More than 400,000 children across Massachusetts qualify for free or low-cost school meals during the school year. During the summer months, families lose access to these nutritious meals and frequently find it difficult to pay for the additional meals. Without access to meals, children are at greater risk of unhealthy eating habits, fatigue, weight gain and summer learning loss.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds the Summer Food Service Program, which is administered in Massachusetts by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE). The program provides children with access to nutritious meals at schools, parks, swimming pools, playgrounds and other community sites, often in conjunction with enrichment and recreational activities.
Participation in the summer feeding program has increased annually since targeted outreach initiatives began in 1992. Last summer, over 100 sponsoring organizations at more than 1,000 sites fed an average of nearly 60,000 young people per day. The state expects to reach more than that this summer but is still a long way from serving all students who qualify for the program. Additional sponsors could help ensure fewer students go hungry this summer.
“The Greater Boston Food Bank estimates 1 in 7 children in Massachusetts live in food-insecure households. This summer food program is extremely important to the well-being of our students who need to be able to easily access nourishing food during the summer months when school is out,” Education Secretary James Peyser said.
"We have many strong partners who distribute meals to children, and I hope additional community organizations, schools and municipal departments will consider sponsoring a Summer Food Service Program site this summer," said Acting Commissioner Jeff Wulfson. "Students need to stay healthy, active and learning over the summer if they are going to be ready for school again in the fall."
Sponsors operate the sites with close technical support from ESE and outreach assistance from the Child Nutrition Outreach Program (CNOP) at Project Bread. For information on summer meals, including how to become a sponsor, call Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline at 1-800-645-8333. Many Summer Food Service Programs are expected to be implemented before July 4 and operate until mid-August.
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