Maryland State Department of Education recognized Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) for their outstanding administration of the SFSP, nominating them as a MARO 2022 Summer Champion. Maryland noted CAFB’s excellent record keeping and well-organized meal services. “We’re proud to be recognized for the efforts of our dedicated team members, who are deeply committed to providing the nourishing meals our community members need to thrive,” said Krista Scalise, CAFB Chief Operating Officer. "Ensuring that children have the food they need to continue playing, learning, and growing when school is out of session is some of Capital Area Food Bank’s most important work during the summer months."

In 2022 CAFB sponsored 21 sites in Maryland and served 35,088 meals. In June 2022, they took promoting summer meals to the next level, launching webpages in English and Spanish to inform the community of sites serving breakfast, lunch, snacks and supper. CAFB understands that no child should go hungry because they lose school meals during the summer.

At Family Outreach Center in Sussex County, Delaware, swimming, arts and crafts, music, dance, and field trips are just a few of the fun activities offered to campers. They also provide educational components, operating sites that get regular visits from a bookmobile where children can check out books to bring home. The books, along with math and language arts instruction, help ensure learning goes together with nutrition. Not surprisingly, Delaware’s Department of Education nomination lauded the center’s variety of services earning them recognition as a MARO 2022 Summer Champion. 

“Our Summertime Camp Program is unique because it focuses on educational enrichment and individual growth,” said Stephanie Dukes, Family Outreach Center Director. 

 “We provide a safe, supervised environment that supports at-risk youth. Our summer camp and the summer food service program are crucial to our community…both programs help ensure children have an opportunity to succeed in life socially, emotionally, spiritually, academically, and educationally.”

For youth who are unable to attend summer camp, Dukes says the same two meals are delivered by volunteers from the food service program. In fact, Family Outreach Center volunteers distribute 300 meals a day to children who would otherwise go to bed hungry. “For some, these meals are the only they will get,” said Dukes. “The Summer Food Service Program is vital to their existence and nutritional status.” 

When school is out in Harford County, Maryland, the Summer Table Program steps up. The sponsor of 38 sites in 2022, Harford County Public Schools served more than 47,000 meals to children who might otherwise go without meals during the summer. In the nomination to be recognized as a MARO 2022 Summer Champion, Maryland State Department of Education made special note of the Havre de Grace Library site run by Mark Fisher, where meals are served to kids in a clean and friendly environment with excellent customer service. In 2022, the library served 349 healthy and nutritious meals to community kids. 

 “This honor truly recognizes the hard work the members of our Food and Nutrition Department do daily,” said Harford County Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Sean Bulson. “Their dedication to making sure students have access to a healthy meal during our Summer Food Service Program is vital in our community. I am very proud of the support they provide our community and difference they are making in young lives.” 

The Latin American Community Center Summer Camp was nominated by Delaware Department of Education as a MARO 2022 Summer Champion for their strong commitment and efforts to ensure children had access to meals during the summer. Their summer camp, hosted at two sites last year, served more than 4,000 breakfasts, 5,700 lunches, and nearly 5,000 snacks.  

Ninety-five percent of children enrolled in the summer camps are eligible for free or reduced-price meals while in school, so it is critical for the community to have a place for kids to continue being nourished when school is out. 

“It is so important to our students, and the community we serve, that we continue to provide meals to our children through the summer while schools are closed,” said Food Program Director Iris Pinto. “We are grateful that through the Summer Food Service Program we are able to make sure that students are fed, happy, and healthy while they are in our care.”  

New Jersey Department of Agriculture, which oversees SFSP in the state, nominated Jersey City Public Schools as a MARO 2022 Summer Champion.  They operated 33 open sites last summer, providing meals not only to the schools within their district but also to out-of-district sites, such as Boys and Girls Clubs, early childcare centers, and sports camps just to name a few.   

According to Jennifer Zeligson, Jersey City Public Schools Director of Food Services, “The goal of the Jersey City Public Schools food service department is to feed high-quality, well-presented food to ALL the children of Jersey City in an inviting, clean atmosphere with a smile! We aim to achieve this year-round!”  

Jersey City Public Schools served 30,450 breakfast meals, 33,089 lunch meals and 713 snacks during summer 2022 operations. They also managed a special needs school meals program in 2022, with a modified menu to meet the needs of these children.  

Delaware Department of Education nominated Caesar Rodney School District (CRSD) as a MARO 2022 Summer Champion for their outstanding summer meals program last year. The district managed ten sites serving 6,884 breakfasts and 12,145 lunches during the summer of 2022. Moreover, the district understood the need in their community to provide summer meals and opened their elementary and secondary schools to serve healthy and nutritious meals. 

“Unfortunately, childhood hunger does not end on the last day of school; there is no summer break for food insecurity,” said Darla Koff, CRSD Child Nutrition Specialist. “Families in our community rely on the free meals Caesar Rodney Child Nutrition provides children throughout the summer at various locations.”   

“It is a critical mission to provide our community’s children with meals over the summer,” said Dr. David T. Sovine, Washington County Public Schools Superintendent. “Our staff looks forward to working our summer meal sites not only because they love to see the smiles on children’s faces, but they realize the impact the food makes in the lives of the kids and their families. This initiative truly contributes to the health and well-being of our youth and our greater community.” 

A former MARO Summer Champion in 2021, Seaford School District also earned praise in 2022 from Delaware Department of Education for their strong partnership and dedication to providing summer meals. Seaford's “FAD” (fresh and delicious!) food truck traveled far and wide serving 11,217 lunches at nine different feeding sites and 2,592 breakfasts and 2,298 lunches at district schools. Delaware Department of Education made special note of Seaford’s frequent use of local fresh fruits and vegetables when preparing the meals for kids.  

In fact, Goochland’s The Sunshine Bus delivered 831 breakfasts and 1,481 lunches to three mobile feeding sites in 2022. Throughout the coming summer, all children under the age of 18 can get food from The Sunshine Food Bus for free and receive a book with every meal.  

Andrea Early, HCPS Director of School Nutrition, said their Mobile Café program helps to ensure students have access to healthy meals when school is out, but it has become so much more than just nutrition. “HCPS staff members volunteer at our sites each day and this allows us to strengthen our connection with families in a safe space - their own neighborhoods. We provide enriching activities such as STEM, art, and music, along with important information about school registration, health services, and more. Volunteering with the Mobile Café puts all of us in a very good mood!" 

Feeding Southwest Virginia’s (FSV) mobile food truck traveled regularly to four feeding sites in 2022, distributing SFSP meals to children and teens throughout their community.

FSV employees team up with volunteers, including an AmeriCorps volunteer, during the summer to serve healthy meals to kids. In 2022, the food truck provided 641 breakfasts, 959 lunches, 1,387 snacks, and 2,025 suppers for a total of 5,012 meals served.