ISBE to Kick Off Summer Meals program

Ensuring low-income students are well fed while school is out

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is making sure children are not forgotten over break by providing access to nutritious meals through the Summer Meals program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. School districts, local government entities and nonprofit organizations serve as summer food sites to ensure children have free, healthy meals and snacks all summer long.

“Hunger does not stop when summer vacation starts,” said State Superintendent of Education Tony Smith. “All children deserve access to nutritious meals year-round and we are delighted to continue to bring this program to Illinois communities.”

More than 2,300 sites are expected to serve free meals, including breakfast and lunch, to children and teens ages 18 and younger across Illinois during summer vacation. At more than half of the sites, children and teens will not have to apply or show any proof of family income in order to receive a meal.

“Poor nutrition during the summer months can affect children’s academic performance during the school year,” said Tim English, Midwest regional administrator for the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. “The USDA’s summer feeding programs help children get the nourishing food they need all year long so they come back to school in the fall ready to learn.”

Families can search for a nearby site offering free meals at www.summerfeedingillinois.org. Individuals also can text the words “FoodIL” in English or “AlimentosIL” in Spanish to 877-877. Upon texting, individuals will be prompted to send a ZIP code, after which they will receive the address and serving times of the closest summer meals sites. Residents can also call the Illinois Hunger Coalition’s hunger hotline at (800) 359-2163.

This year is the 40^th anniversary of the Summer Food Service Program and a kickoff event is scheduled for June 24 at Dunbar Park in Chicago in partnership with No Kid Hungry and several sponsors. Kids 18 and under can pick up a free lunch between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

During the summer of 2013, Illinois program sites served meals to nearly 107,000 children, which is only 14 percent of the almost 775,000 children who ate free or reduced-priced meals during the 2012-13 school year. Nationally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that nearly 3 million children received summer meals on an average day in 2013. The national goal this year is to serve 200 million meals to children during the summer months when school is not in session. This breaks down to each state increasing the number of its meals served by 7.3 percent.

It’s not too late if you are interested in becoming a meal site. Call the Summer Meals program at (800) 545-7892 to be referred to a local sponsor.