Summer Food Service Program Applications Open in MAPS March 1 - April 29, 2022
The USDA’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) ensures that children who depend on school meals have nutritious food when school is not in session. Meals are available to children 18 years old or younger during school closures, no questions asked. All kids need to do is show up and eat!
Sponsor participation and meal sites are needed to ensure Montana’s children in low-income areas have continued access to healthy meals and snacks. The Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) is accepting applications for the 2022 summer from public and private nonprofit schools, local government agencies, and private nonprofit organizations interested in sponsoring the SFSP.
Contact Christine Emerson at cemerson@mt.gov or 406-444-2502 with questions.
Important update! Summer Meals text number is now 914-342-7744
We wanted to make sure you were aware of the number change to the Summer Meals text service. The automated texting service which connects families to local summer meal sites is now 914-342-7744.
The 97779 number that was previously in use is now discontinued. The new number is in operation and will be this summer.
States, sponsors, as well as FNS offices, may start promoting this new text number. Folks can still text “summer meals” or a question that may contain a keyword such as “summer,” “summermeals,” or “verano” (for Spanish), to receive an automated response to resources located near an address and/or zip code. Please relay this information to your sponsors and update any relevant promotional materials. The new text number has been updated on USDA’s public website, and more information about the National Hunger Hotline and associated texting service may be found here [fns.usda.gov].
*Please note, the USDA National Hunger Hotline number has not changed. Individuals can still call 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE to speak with a representative who will find food resources such as meal sites, food banks, and other nearby social services.
SY 2021-22 Emergency Operational Costs Program Report
This brief questionnaire is required of all districts that received payment from the
Emergency Operational Costs Program in September of 2021.
These additional funds were provided to cover lost revenue from closures or service
interruptions during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please refer to this list if you are unsure whether your district received a payment:
Responses are due March 14, 2022.
Please contact Christine Emerson at 406-444-2502 or cemerson@mt.gov with questions.
The USDA is making funding available for supply chain assistance in response to the challenges in purchasing and receiving food that districts are experiencing in School Year 2021-22 that are resulting in unavailability of popular food items and price fluctuations.
To assist districts with supply chain disruptions, Montana districts will receive relief funding to strengthen local food supply chains and help districts to overcome financial and operational barriers while maintaining children’s access to nutritious meals.
Complete this form by March 1, 2022 to receive the funds in a March 2022 disbursement:
The Office of Public Instruction will distribute funds in March 2022 to participating districts to help defray the costs of unanticipated cancellation of food contracts, reduced availability of foods, unexpected substitution of products, and unpredictable increases in food prices. The funds will support direct purchasing of domestically grown, unprocessed or minimally processed food products by districts to address immediate supply chain disruption barriers.
Please refer to this list to see your district's allocation amount:
Please contact Christine Emerson at 406-444-2502 or cemerson@mt.gov with questions.
Applications now open for the Montana Farm to School Institute
The Montana Farm to School Institute is a year-long program intended to ignite, grow, and sustain farm to school action within Montana schools and communities by providing training and support, and facilitating team building and action planning. Three school districts will be selected from across the state to participate in this first year. The Institute will kick off with a three day in-person Summer Retreat in the Livingston area in summer 2022. Teams will develop and implement action plans that encompass goals, activities, and timelines for their farm to school programs. In addition to developing action plans, teams will be connected with the information, ideas, tools, resources, programs, and people to successfully implement their action plans, through the educational sessions and tours. Experts in F2S topics, as well as peer trainers, will equip teams with the inspiration and knowledge they need to succeed.
Each team, ranging from four to eight members of the school community, will be assigned a trained F2S Coach with expertise relevant to the team’s main goals. The F2S Coaches will help facilitate the process of developing an action plan during the Institute and will support their assigned team with implementation of the plan during the 2022-2023 school year.
The fee for participation in the Institute will be $400 per school team. The fee will include attendance at the three-day in-person Institute for all team members, Continuing Education Credits, meals during the Institute event, and support from a farm to school coach.
Applications are due March 25, 2022 at 11:59PM MST.
For more information and to apply, visit: https://www.montana.edu/mtfarmtoschool/institute.html [montana.edu]
Nondiscrimination Statement
Spanish-language NDS
The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.
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