Free summer meals are available to anyone aged 1-18
Hunger doesn’t take a vacation – in fact, summer is a time when child hunger often spikes. Without access to meals at school, many families have to find an additional ten meals a week per child.
There are resources available. Summer Meal Sites provide free, nourishing meals to kids aged 1-18. These programs are open to all families and don’t ask for any paperwork or registration – kids can just drop in. You’ll find free summer meals at many different types of places, including schools, parks, community centers and faith-based organizations. Many offer fun activities that help kids stay active and keep learning during the summer when school is out.
The Summer Food Program provides funds for organizations and schools to continue to serve meals to children during the summer when school is not in session. Funding is provided by the USDA.
Start a Program
The Oregon Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs (ODE CNP) team can help communities and programs get started with summer meals. Visit their website for information.
Support Summer Meals Access
Many families have never heard of the Summer Food Service Program, or don’t know it’s open to all children and teens 1-18 years old. Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon help connect interested individuals to Summer Meals.
You can help parents and kids know about this important resource by donating to our work.
WHEN SPREADING THE WORD
please be sure to include the following information
Each Summer, free healthy meals are available to all children and teens 1-18 years old. To find the nearest summer meal site, visit SummerFoodOregon.org or call 2-1-1.
Advocacy
We identify opportunities for Summer Food Service Program improvement through our work with providers here in Oregon and monitoring efforts of other states. We advocate for these improvements through state and federal policy change, like Federal Child Nutrition Reauthorization.