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Rebranded USDA Summer Programs
This incorporates:
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SUN Meals: In-person summer meal sites; group summer meal service
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SUN Meals To-Go: To-go or home-delivered meals in certain rural areas
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SUN Bucks: Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer Program, or Summer EBT; summer grocery benefits
The SUN name – derived from the words Summer and Nutrition – reflects the broader, brighter impact USDA’s Summer Nutrition Programs will have on kids across the nation, helping them thrive during summer and beyond.
Spread the word! USDA staff, contractors, implementing agencies, and partners can use the brand guidelines to develop materials and communications about the SUN programs.
Additionally, there is now a SUN-branded email signature template [fns.usda.gov]and virtual meeting backgrounds [fns.usda.gov]. These as well as other summer materials can all be found in the Summer EBT Outreach Toolkit [fns.usda.gov].
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Summer Food Service Program 2024
MT OPI is gearing up for the 2024 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) season! The SFSP is operated by local non-profits and schools that distribute and serve free meals over the summer to all children 18 and under. Applications to operate the SFSP this year will be open on MAPS from March 7th to May 10th. Montana Sponsors will again have the option of operating rural non-congregate sites at eligible locations. Consider reviewing the recording of our Wednesday Webinar for an overview of the SFSP, including updates new to this season.
Please remember to complete the annual required training on Bright Track. If you are planning to add new sites to your service this year, please fill out the New Site Request Form and submit it to britta.binde@mt.gov. Site area eligibility may be determined using this map provided by the USDA. If you are planning to operate non-congregate this summer, please fill out an integrity form in addition to your MAPS Application.
Check out our Summer Food Service Program Website for additional resources. Please see our Google Drive folder that contains useful forms for SFSP recordkeeping. If you have any questions, please contact your regional specialist or our Summer Food Service Program Specialist, Britta Binde at britta.binde@mt.gov or (406) 594-9747.
Turnip the Beet! High-Quality Summer Meals Award Program
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is pleased to announce the winners of the Turnip the Beet award for summer 2023. This award recognizes sponsors within the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) that go above and beyond program requirements to serve high-quality meals to children during the summer months. This year, 140 sponsors qualified for either a gold, silver, or bronze Turnip the Beet award.
Start planning your Summer Menus now and plan to submit the Turnip the Beet: High-Quality Meals in the Summer Meal Programs 2024 Nomination Form this summer!
FNS has an abundance of resources available to sponsors to help make summer meals more appetizing, appealing, and nutritious:
Resource | PolicyNon-Congregate Meal Service in Rural Areas Q&As
This guidance updates previously issued questions and answers to clarify the rural non-congregate summer meals option established through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, and codified through the interim final rulemaking, Establishing the Summer EBT Program and Rural Non-congregate Option in the Summer Meal Programs.
SFSP 07-2024, SP 13-2024
02/22/2024
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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