Iowa sponsors required to prevent child hunger in the summer

DES MOINES - In an effort to head off hunger, the Iowa Department of Education is seeking sponsors for a federally funded program that provides nutritious meals or snacks to children in low-income areas of the state during the summer months.

Nearly 200,000 Iowa students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals during the school year don't have school-sponsored meal programs to turn to when classes let out for summer break. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Summer Food Service Program, which is administered through the Iowa Department of Education, is designed to fill that gap. The program utilizes local sponsors and partner organizations to manage summer meal services.

Typically, sponsors include public and non-public schools; local government agencies, and private nonprofit organizations with serving sites located in schools, churches, community centers, parks, libraries, housing complexes, or camps.

To qualify as a site, the facility must be either located in a low-income neighborhood where at least 50 percent of the children are eligible for free and reduced-price meals or must serve primarily low-income children.

In addition, summer food program sponsors across the state are interested in partnering with other organizations that have a connection to families and can help spread the message about available site locations, have summer child-serving activities that are interested in adding a meal service without the administrative and management responsibilities of sponsorship, or that can assist with providing transportation for children to and from meal sites. Volunteers and meal sites are also required.

In 2018, the summer food service program sponsors served 1,264,826 meals and snacks, 35,418 fewer than the previous summer. Program sponsors, site locations, and partner organizations are crucial to meeting needs for families.

Organizations interested in learning how to be involved are invited to register to participate in a free informational webinar on Feb. 28, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

For more information, visit the Department's Summer Food Service Program website or contact Stephanie Dross at 515-281-4760 or stephanie.dross@iowa.gov. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.