Image: USDA
School meals continue to be a hot topic in the news lately with lawmakers trying to scale back the Healthy-Hunger Free Kids Act school meal standards. Regardless of what is happening in the news, the fact is that school meals are healthier today and for many children these are the most nutritious meals they get. During the school year over a million children across the state rely on school meals. For these students summer break can mean going hungry without access to the free and reduced school meals and not getting the proper nutrition that they need to stay healthy. Just as learning doesn’t stop at the end of the school year, neither does a child’s need for healthy meals and good nutrition.
The USDA Summer Food Service Program covers this summer meal gap for students and is one of the most underutilized government programs available, with only about 16% of eligible students participating. Summer meals are available to anyone 18 and under and do not require applications or registration ahead of time. There are many different locations that provide summer meals, including schools, park programs, libraries and churches. To find out where there are free Summer Meals in your area visit hungersolutionsny.org/get-food/find-free-summer-meals. You can learn more about the USDA Summer Meals Program at www.summerfood.usda.gov.
Kari Shanahan
kshanahan@ocmboces.org
OCM BOCES Instructional Support 