|
NEWS RELEASE
Date: June 25, 2026
Media Contact: Liz Merah
Oregon Families Have Two Ways to Access Free Meals and Grocery Benefits This Summer
Free summer meals are available at more than 450 sites statewide, and eligible families can receive $120 per child through Summer EBT.
(Salem, OR) – Oregon families have two important resources to help ensure children have access to nutritious food while school is out this summer: free meals served at hundreds of locations across the state, and Summer EBT grocery benefits for eligible families. Access to nutritious food supports children's health, well-being and readiness to learn when they return to school in the fall.
"Summer should be a time for children to learn, grow and thrive — not worry about where their next meal will come from," said Dr. Charlene Williams, Director of the Oregon Department of Education (ODE). "These programs help ensure Oregon children continue to have access to healthy food during the summer months while helping families stretch their grocery budgets."
Free Summer Meals Available Statewide
Through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO), children and teens can receive free nutritious meals throughout the summer at more than 450 locations across Oregon.
Participating sites include schools, parks, libraries, community centers and other nonprofit organizations. Many sites also offer enrichment activities that help keep children engaged while school is out.
Meals are available to all children and teens ages 18 and younger regardless of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), age. or disability.
Find a Summer Meal Site New You
Families can locate meal sites by:
Questions about summer meal programs can be directed to ODE Child Nutrition Programs at ode.communitynutrition@ode.oregon.gov.
Summer EBT Provides Grocery Benefits for Eligible Families
Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer EBT) is a partnership between the Oregon Department of Human Services and ODE that helps families purchase groceries during summer break.
Eligible families can receive a one-time Summer EBT benefit of $120 per child on an Oregon EBT card to buy food. Benefits expire 122 days after issuance if they are not used.
Families will get benefits automatically on their Oregon EBT card if they have children between the ages of 6-18 and have received one of the following at any time during the 2025-26 school year:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance
- Medicaid, if household income is below 185 percent of the federal poverty level
- Foster care services
Families also may automatically receive benefits if they have children who:
- Were determined by their school to have a status as migrant, houseless or runaway.
- Took part in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.
- Attended a Head Start program that was part of the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program.
Families may need to apply if:
- Their household meets income requirements for free or reduced-price school meals.
- Their child attends a school that was part of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program (SBP).
For more information about Summer EBT, visit sebt.oregon.gov. Spanish language information is available at ebtv.oregon.gov.
Together, Oregon's summer nutrition programs help reduce childhood hunger and ensure children continue to have access to healthy meals when school is out.
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
-
Mail:S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
-
Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
-
Email: intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
###
|
