No school means no lunch for thousands of Wisconsin’s economically disadvantaged children in summer. To help feed hungry kids when school is not in session, the Department of Public Instruction is seeking new and renewal sponsors for the Summer Food Service Program.
“Many families struggle to provide food for their children throughout the year, but especially so during the summer when the School Breakfast and National School Lunch programs aren’t running,” said State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor. “The Summer Food Service Program helps close a nutrition gap for children in communities throughout the state.”
While the most common sponsor has been local school districts that combine a meal program with their summer school sessions, nonprofit organizations, summer camps and government entities can also serve as sponsors. Last year, 240 sponsors provided 2.9 million free meals to children from low-income families at 965 sites statewide, an increase of 60 sites from the prior year.
For information on the Summer Food Service Program or sponsorship opportunities, call Amy Kolano at 608-266-7124 or visit https://dpi.wi.gov.