Quick Summary
Help the youth in your community have access to daily meals by becoming a USDA Summer Food Service program (SFSP) site. Libraries and SFSP are a great fit.
Text courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Education.
Are you interested in being a meal site or supporting other meal sites in your area? Many libraries around the USA participate in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), a USDA-funded program that provides free meals and snacks to children ages 0-18 in communities with high levels of need.
Libraries and SFSP are a great fit. The library is a trusted, accessible community center which is known for giving stuff out for free and has no stigma of “handout” attached to it. Libraries are also justly famous for drop-in enrichment programming, which increases the appeal and use of SFSP sites.
SFSP is good for the library too. Besides the obvious benefits of addressing hunger and supporting vulnerable youth, participation gives libraries:
- Access to new user groups, especially underserved and marginalized populations
- Increased visibility of the library as a community asset
- Opportunities for new partnerships
- Positioning of the library as an important stakeholder in community well-being and positive child outcomes
- Support for summer library programming through increased attendance”
To learn more, visit the USDA’s official page or the No Kid Hungry Summer Eligibility Map. For further information, visit the Minnesota Department of Education’s Summer Food Service page.
