Child sitting at picnic table

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)

The Summer Food Service Program helps keep kids fed and well over the summer months, when schools are no longer a reliable source of nutrition for their active, growing bodies. Our expert program teams help partner organizations explore if SFSP participation could work for them.

SFSP Helps Keep Kids Fed During Hungry Summer Months

During the school year, kids in kindergarten through high school in Minnesota are eligible for free meals. However, when school lets out for the summer, children may not have access to the nutritious meals they need. That’s where the USDA Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) comes in, working to provide free meals to all children and teens 18 years old and younger through school and community partners.

SFSP shows up in communities through free summer meal sites, organized by schools, districts, or community and nonprofit organizations. These sites are hosted at places like schools, libraries, and parks, and offer free meals and snacks to any kid 18 years old and younger. There is no registration required and no information is collected when kids visit a meal site.

A girl eats food at a picnic table and laughs

Interested in starting or expanding a meal site?

Becoming a sponsor of the SFSP allows you to make a difference in your community by providing free meals to kids. Second Harvest Heartland, along with partners at No Kid Hungry, the Minnesota Department of Education, the USDA and others, can help you become a meal site sponsor. We’ve compiled a list of best practices and resources, and invite you to see if sponsoring a site is right for you!

Questions?

Email us at info@2harvest.org.

Are you able to promote free meal sites to your students and community?

We need the support of teachers, administrators, and all community members to ensure children know about and are encouraged to visit free meal sites in their community. Even if your school doesn’t offer free summer meals, you can still help your students by providing parents, caregivers, and community leaders with information about nearby meal sites. Choose the action that’s best for you:

SFSP Administrative Contact Information

Minnesota

Wisconsin

 

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: Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; Fax: (202) 690-7442; or Email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.