07/07/2023
This summer, nearly 450 schools and community organizations are serving free, healthy meals at thousands of sites across the state.
The Summer Food Service Program allows kids and teens ages 18 and under access to healthy meals at no cost throughout the summer months. Most sites are “open” sites, where there is no sign-up or paperwork required; kids can just drop by when meals are served. In-person meal service with kids eating together will be the most common; and often feature free, engaging activities. In rural communities, however, some sites will be providing grab-and-go or home delivered meals.
Families can use the following tools to find nearby sites. Additional sites and meal service times can be added at any point during the summer, so check back weekly for the most up-to-date information.
• Text “food” or “comida” to 304-304
• Use the map on https://hungersolutionsny.org/find-food-help/summer-meals/
• Call 211 or 311 (in NYC), 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-3-HAMBRE
You can help spread the word about summer meals using free, easy-to-use resources on https://hungersolutionsny.org/federal-nutrition-programs/summer-food-service-program/resources/, including flyers in English and Spanish, sample social media posts, graphics you can add to your website and e-news, and more.
The Summer Food Service Program was established to ensure that low-income children aged 18 and younger receive nutritious meals when schools are not in session. USDA Food and Nutrition Service administers the Summer Food Service Program at the national level, and the New York State Education Department administers it at the state level.
Questions? Email Cody Bloomfield, Afterschool and Summer Meals Specialist at Cody.Bloomfield@HungerSolutionsNY.org.
𝗜𝗖𝗬𝗠𝗜: 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗹
The enacted FY2024 State Budget included an additional $134.6M to expand access to free school meals through the new Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) State Subsidy. This funding will become available to schools in the upcoming 2023-2024 school year, but eligible schools must apply to participate by August 31, 2023. Hunger Solutions New York offers support to schools applying for and implementing CEP. Learn more on our CEP State Subsidy webpage.
