New Jersey Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Joe Atchison III has announced that applications are now open for organizations interested in sponsoring the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program. This initiative aims to provide nutritious meals to children in low-income areas during the summer months.
The deadline for submitting new applications is March 20, 2024.
The Summer Food Program, which began in 1976 as an extension of the National School Lunch Program, targets individuals aged 18 or younger in economically disadvantaged regions. It also includes people over 18 with certain disabilities who participate in public or nonprofit private programs offering services for those with disabilities.
This federally funded program reimburses participating organizations for meals served to children residing in areas where at least 50 percent qualify for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program.
Eligible applicants include public or private nonprofit school food authorities; local, municipal, county, or state government units; public or private nonprofit organizations; residential summer camps; and national youth sports programs.
Organizations approved to sponsor the Summer Food Service Program manage feeding sites that provide breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks to young children. Most participants can be reimbursed for up to two meals a day. Meals may also be reimbursed for nights and weekends. Organizations serving primarily migrant children may receive reimbursement for up to three meals a day.
Residential camps can serve up to three meals daily but are only reimbursed for meals provided to children eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program.
In 2023, 168 organizations participated in this program by serving 4,689,362 nutritious meals—including breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks—at 1,253 summer meal sites. During the School Year 2022-23, two School Food Authorities with three sites took part in the National School Lunch Program’s Seamless Summer Option providing 1,902 free lunches and 1,609 free breakfasts to children aged 18 and under.
The application deadline remains March 20, 2024. More information on the Summer Food Service Program is available at https://bit.ly/3PcNnPA or by calling (609) 292-4498.
