The Washington State legislature has provided $120,000 for the Summer Meals For Kids grant.
These funds may be used to:
- Start a new Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
- Expand the number of meal sites or number of meals offered to children.
- Begin or expand promotion and outreach for a SFSP, such as marketing for Farm-to-Summer Week (August 3-7, 2020)
- Provide training to volunteers or other staff.
- Improve the quality, safety, sanitation, and/or efficiency of meals served in a SFSP.
- Purchase or improve equipment or small wares used in the SFSP.
Here are some ideas from previous applications:
- Marketing materials such as vehicle wraps, billboard space, sandwich boards, or printing of marketing materials (i.e. stickers, door hangers, etc.);
- Meal delivery vans/busses/food trucks;
- Portable plug-in coolers;
- Gardening equipment and supplies for meal site gardens that are used to provide food to program and/or support nutrition education activities.
These grants are available to all sponsors. If you do not have an EDS or iGrants account, you must create one - get started early!
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Use this link to create an account with EDS.
- If you are not a certified teacher, you do not need to complete the second box.
- Fill in all required sections, you will receive a confirmation email. Make sure to complete the verification process.
- After creating your EDS account, you must get iGrants access. Email CustomerSupport@k12.wa.us with the following information:
• Your first and last name
• Your email address
• Legal name of your organization
• Street address of your organization
• City
• State
• Zip
• Business phone (with area code)
NOTE: It may take up to 48 hours for Customer Support to respond to your request. Please plan accordingly.
Questions? Please email Wendy Barkley or call 360-725-0433.
OSPI Child Nutrition Services (CNS) invites you to participate in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Distribution Program for the 2020 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
Why USDA Foods?
The USDA Foods program offers a wide variety of nutrient-dense, kid-friendly food and provides a great value.
Organizations earn entitlement dollars based on the number of meals served during the previous years’ operation. Sponsors that earned at least $50 in USDA Foods entitlements based on their 2019 operation are eligible to participate this year.
This years’ items may include:
•Individual fruit cups
•Pre-cooked beef patties
•Canned beans
•Canned fruit
•For a complete list of USDA foods that may be offered, please view the WA Food Items Available List.
More About USDA Food Ordering:
•There is a minimum case requirement when ordering.
◦Dry Items– 15 cases.
◦Frozen Items – 15 cases.
•While USDA Foods uses entitlement dollars, associated fees are charged to the sponsor (processing fees, delivery fees, storage fees, etc.).
How to Participate:
- The ordering period is March 25-27, 2020.
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School Districts currently receiving USDA Foods will receive their SFSP orders with their NSLP May order, if applicable.
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Non-School District SFSP Sponsors will arrange to pick-up orders May 1-22, 2020.
- West side pick-up location (Dry and Frozen foods): Lineage Logistics in Algona
- East side pick-up location:
- Frozen - Empire Cold in Spokane
- Dry - Inland Empire Distribution in Spokane
NOTE: By completing an interest form and accepting USDA foods, you and your organization agree to apply for, and operate, a Summer Food Service Program during summer 2020.
Questions? Please email the Food Distribution team or call 360-725-6204.
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Now's the time to register for Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) annual training! All lead program administrators are required to complete OSPI training each year.
There are additional in-person training opportunities available this year. Read about the training options below for details and to register.
All Sponsors
All lead program administrators from organizations planning to operate the SFSP in 2020 must watch the Civil Rights* and Procurement* recorded trainings annually, prior to program application submission.
New Sponsor/New Administrator Training
This training will take an in-depth look at how to operate the SFSP.
Who Must Attend?
Lead program administrators from organizations that are:
- New SFSP sponsors;
- Returning sponsors with new administrative staff;
- Returning sponsors who did not operate a SFSP in 2019; OR
- Returning sponsors required to attend as part of their corrective action plan.
Before attending the in-person portion of this training, lead program administrators must watch the “Intro to the Summer Food Service Program” recorded training (coming soon).
Register:
** PLEASE NOTE NEW DATE AND LOCATION - March 4th, 9am– 3pm, Olympia– Register
March 12th, 9am – 3pm, Spokane – Register
Returning Sponsor In-Person Training
This training provides a general overview of SFSP requirements and offers opportunities for peer-to-peer networking and best practices sharing from other existing sponsors. This training can be completed in place of the online returning sponsor training.
Who can attend?
Program administrators who performed an administrator role on the SFSP in 2019 from a returning sponsoring organization.
Register:
** PLEASE NOTE NEW LOCATION - March 3rd, 9am– 1pm, Olympia – Register
March 13th, 9am – 1pm, Spokane – Register
Online Training Option for Returning Sponsors
Returning sponsors have the option to watch a 3-hour recorded training in place of attending the returning sponsor in-person training. This training will be available on the OSPI CNS website in March. No registration is necessary.
*NOTE: If your organization operates another federal Child Nutrition Program during the school year and the lead program administrator for the SFSP has already completed Civil Rights or Procurement training within the last year, the training above does not need to be completed. Please maintain documentation of the alternative trainings completed.
USDA-FNS recently issued Streamlining Program Requirements and Improving Integrity in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), proposed rules that would simplify and clarify SFSP program requirements.
Join the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) for an overview of the proposed rules and how you can submit comments.
Register here!
Date: Wednesday, February 26
Time: 11:30am - 12:30pm PT
There are many training options out there: You could train staff yourself, use OSPI CNS training, or the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) to meet training requirements.
Recently, the ICN released a Civil Rights in Child Nutrition Programs online training. This session reviews compliance and enforcement of the prohibition against discrimination in all USDA nutrition programs- and it can be used to help train your staff.
Check out the online training today to see if it's a right for you! Just remember- you always have to train staff on your internal procedures.
Plan activities, education, and fun around Washington Farm to Summer Week - August 3-7, 2020!
Don’t forget to celebrate by engaging in one or more Farm to Summer activities this summer. The best way to have a successful event is to plan early!
Buy local foods to feature on your summer menu, do gardening activities with kids, or do an educational activity about agriculture and local foods. For more ideas and resources, visit the Washington Farm to School website.
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