Summer is finally here! This is an especially busy time at HSD with programs ramping up for summer; as we all know, the need for human services programs is not related to the seasons of the year and summer presents our community with many unique challenges!
During the school year, thousands of Seattle Public Schools students receive free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch each day. However, when school lets out, many of these children face a higher risk for hunger, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Hunger can make children more prone to illness and other health issues.
Thanks to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), thousands of Seattle children ages 1 through 18 will enjoy free, nutritious breakfasts, lunches and snacks this season. This program is a critical part of the fight against hunger and our efforts to make sure children have a fun, safe and healthy summer.
SFSP is designed to fill the nutrition gap during this annual break to make sure children continue to get the nutritious meals they need to maintain healthy lives. For too many, this program may be the only source of nutritious food the child will receive all day.
This summer we’re making a big push to get the word out to kids, teens and families, because the program is still under-utilized despite the fact that the meals for kids are free and located at over 100 sites in the community. Will you help us by telling your co-workers, agency contacts, neighbors, friends, and family members about this great free program at a location near you?
Click here to view the Kick-off flyer!
The Summer Food Service Program, formerly known as “Summer Sack Lunch”, is funded by the USDA and was established in 1968. The City of Seattle has operated this program in Seattle since the early 1970s.
Promoting summer feeding sites in your community is one of the most important things you can do to ensure no child goes hungry this summer. The more parents, children, and teenagers who know about where sites are located, the more children will come to eat. The program runs from Wednesday, June 25 through Friday, August 22, 2014. For more information and to find a meal site near you, please visit seattle.gov/summerfood.
