More than 900,000 North Carolina students rely on the nutritious meals and snacks served during the school year through the School Breakfast, School Lunch, and Afterschool Meals Programs. When school is out of session, North Carolina’s Summer Nutrition Programs help fill the gap by providing free meals and snacks to children who might otherwise go hungry.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, more families have relied on the Summer Nutrition Programs to provide healthy, appealing meals for their children. Last summer, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) approved 184 community sponsors to help provide reimbursable meals for children in our state. Through these community partnerships, community and school sites served over 21 million meals to hungry children.
The need for sponsoring agencies and sites for Summer Nutrition Program is at an all-time high. One child struggling with hunger is one too many. Schools and community organizations are needed to serve as sponsors for Summer Nutrition Programs in 2022 to help ensure children who have limited access to food at home get the nutritious meals they need for optimal growth, development and overall well-being.
Program sponsors are eligible to receive federal reimbursement for all qualifying meals served to children.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt underscored the importance of community partnerships to support students’ nutrition needs during the summer.
“Our goal is to increase the number community sponsors that can partner with us to help provide reimbursable meals to food-insecure children,” Truitt said. “School and summer meals provide students with essential nutrients needed for growth, development and learning. Participation in School and Summer Nutrition Programs also provide educational enrichment and support social emotional learning.”
The Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option – an extension of the National School Lunch Program – were established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure economically disadvantaged children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is out of session. NCDPI administers these programs. The department works with public school districts, charter and non-public schools, and public and private non-profit organizations and other community partners to serve as program sponsors.
The core purpose of these programs is to bridge the gap of food insecurity for children eligible for free or reduced-priced school meals. Acceptable sites may be a location where meals are served in a supervised setting and open to all children in the community or one that serves specific children at a summer camp. Meals served at all sites must be provided at no charge to eligible children regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.
To learn how your organization may become involved in providing summer meals to children in your community, please visit the NCDPI, Summer Nutrition Program website or contact the NCDPI Section Chief for Summer and Special Nutrition Programs Cynthia Ervin.
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In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 800.877.8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call 866.632.9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) fax: 202.690.7442; or
(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
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