Summer Meals

Summer is a time for connection, exploration, and fun! Summer nutrition programs make sure children and young people have the nutrition they need to do just that. During the school year, meals are available to kids through school breakfast and lunch. But kids lose critical access to meals during the summer when schools are out. To fill this gap, many local schools and community organizations nationwide operate summer meal programs to provide meals to kids at no cost.

Federal summer nutrition programs are funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by a designated agency in each state. Most program providers choose to serve meals using the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which is available to schools and qualifying non-profit organizations. School Food Authorities can serve summer meals through SFSP or the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option (SSO). Both programs offer free summer meals to kids and teens at eligible locations with some small differences in program regulations.

In rural communities, non-congregate meal programs like grab & go, home delivery, and parent pick-up can operate where congregate meals are not available in order to reach even more children during the summer months. In addition to summer meal programs, the Summer Electronic Benefit Program (Summer EBT), starting in summer 2024, will provide grocery benefits to families of children eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. 

Together, rural non-congregate meals, Summer EBT, and traditional congregate meals form a Summer Meals program that can better combat summer hunger.

Summer Meals Outreach Resource Toolkit
Getting the word out about your summer meals program is critical to its success, but sometimes promotion and outreach can feel daunting.

No Kid Hungry has created a Summer Meals Outreach Toolkit to help. A range of ready-made and customizable promotional materials are available to help publicize summer meals in your community. Use these resources to maximize the impact of outreach efforts in schools, faith communities, community organizations, and online.

Read on to learn more strategic ways to raise awareness about summer meals in your community.

Engage the Media & Elected Officials
Local media sources are great avenues to bring attention to the summer meals program.

Consider placing outreach materials in newspapers and local radio and television stations. Newspapers are also great places for an op-ed or letter to the editor. Hosting a media event at a summer meals site is also an opportunity to engage elected officials and bolster support for programs that nourish kids when school is out. Check out No Kid Hungry’s Summer Meals Engagement Toolkit for Elected Officials to learn more.

School-Based Outreach
Schools are a trusted source of information regarding child nutrition programs, making them a crucial partner to reaching kids and families.

If a school offers summer meals, they and their partners should actively promote it to students. If a school does not provide summer meals, then schools should instead provide information about nearby programs that are open to students.

Schools can spread the word about summer meals through:

  • Direct outreach to caregivers, such as:
    • Robocalls
    • Newsletters
    • Website
    • Social media
    • Materials sent home with students, such as a letter to parents or FAQ document on summer meals
  • Direct outreach to students, such as:
    • Morning or afternoon announcements
    • Flyers or posters in common areas
    • Social media
    • Partnership with the parent-teacher association

Download social media graphics, template press releases, letters to families, and more in our Summer Meals Outreach Toolkit.

Faith-Based Outreach
Faith-based organizations and places of worship are trusted sources of information and support, so they can be helpful partners for promoting programs within the community.

Faith-based organizations have a number of avenues available to get the word out about the availability of summer meals.

Direct outreach to congregations, such as:

  • Flyers or posters in common areas
  • Newsletters or bulletin announcements
  • Information about summer meals on the website

Engagement with other local faith leaders, such as:

  • Sharing information about programs and inviting youth from other congregations to participate
  • Coordinating faith summits or gatherings to educate the faith community about summer meals programming

Download social media graphics, template press releases, letters to families, and more in our Summer Meals Outreach Toolkit.

Grassroots Outreach

Grassroots outreach spearheaded by community-based organizations and volunteers is an effective strategy to raise awareness and increase access to summer meals programs. Community groups that offer enrichment programming are also promising candidates to both serve as sites and help get the word out about summer meals.

Community-based organizations have a range of options to initiate or expand grassroots outreach efforts:

  • Work with the state agency to map existing summer meals sites in the community in order to target areas for outreach or promotion.
  • Conduct a neighborhood canvassing event with volunteer organizations or other local partners.
  • Put up outreach materials that promote summer meals in locations across the community: parks and recreation centers, libraries, community health centers, public transportation centers, public housing complexes, childcare facilities, houses of worship, grocery/convenience stores, barbershops, hair salons, food pantries, and other government offices delivering social services.

Download social media graphics, template press releases, letters to families, and more in our Summer Meals Outreach Toolkit.

Online Outreach

Websites and social media networks are a great way to reach a large audience at a relatively low cost. Online outreach, including paid advertising, provides an opportunity to hone in on your target audience to ensure your investments of time and money are well-spent.

The information that you decide to provide will depend on your services and your audience, but options include:

  • Details about your organization’s programs that serve summer meals
  • Information about other local summer programs that offer meals, particularly those that are drop-in sites open to all children
  • Stories or statistics demonstrating the need for summer meals
  • Best practices or stories from successful programs

You can spread the word through:

  • A FAQ section on your website
    • It may also be helpful to share this information with state agency partners and other community organizations.
  • A direct link from your website to social media sites where up-to-date program information is available
  • Summer meals-related social media posts shared directly with your network or by local leaders.
  • Videos, photos, and other digital content shared with your online network. Check out No Kid Hungry’s video PSA available for download in English and Spanish.
  • Facebook and Instagram ads that include your website, phone number, and information about when and where meals are served

Download social media graphics, template press releases, letters to families, and more in our Summer Meals Outreach Toolkit.