The Shapiro Administration is encouraging organizations across the Commonwealth to help provide nutritious meals to children in low-income areas during the summer months through the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s (PDE) Summer Food Service Program. New sponsors must apply by May 1, 2025.

The Shapiro Administration is committed to ensuring that all children and students have access to healthy meals all year long. That’s why Governor Josh Shapiro delivered free breakfast for Pennsylvania’s 1.7 million students in his first year. The 2024-25 bipartisan budget builds on that progress with a $16.7 million increase to continue the universal free breakfast program, making sure students have access to healthy meals to start their day on the right foot, and making sure no kid goes hungry during the summer by supporting the Summer Food Service Program.

Last summer, more than 200 organizations provided nutritious meals to children at about 1,650 locations throughout Pennsylvania. They served nearly 3.8 million meals – a 12 percent increase compared to summer 2023. To highlight the positive impact of these programs, PDE produced this video with testimonials from four of last year’s sponsors in both rural and urban settings.

To reach more children and narrow the hunger gap that summer may bring, more organizations and meal sites are needed throughout the state, especially in rural areas.

“Providing children with access to healthy meals year-round is a priority for the Shapiro Administration. The Summer Food Service Program is essential in ensuring that no child goes hungry during the summer months,” said Acting Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe. “I urge organizations across Pennsylvania to step up and sponsor meal sites, so we can continue to support our communities and give every child the opportunity to grow and succeed.”

Participating organizations are reimbursed for meals served to children who live in areas in which at least 50 percent of the children qualify for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program. 

Participating organizations must be year-round, not-for-profit entities, which include schools, local, municipal or county governments, libraries, churches, fire and police stations, residential summer camps, and national youth sports programs. Organizations approved to sponsor the Summer Food Service Program are responsible for managing the meal service sites that provide the meals to children. Organizations serving rural areas may be approved to provide non-congregate meals, such as grab-and-go meals or delivered meals, to children in qualifying areas.

Most participating organizations may be reimbursed for up to two meals a day: lunch or dinner, and breakfast or a snack. Those serving primarily migrant children may be reimbursed for up to three meals a day. Camps may serve up to three meals a day, but they are reimbursed only for meals served to children eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program.

The Summer Food Service Program, which began in 1976, is a federally funded child nutrition program designed to reach those who are age 18 or younger in economically disadvantaged areas. People over 18 who are mentally or physically handicapped and participate in public or nonprofit private programs established for individuals with disabilities are also able to receive free meals at the Summer Food Service Program sites.

For more information on becoming a participating organization or a meal site for the Summer Food Service Program, visit PDE’s website, call 800.331.0129, or email [email protected].

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted 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; or fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or email: [email protected]

View the press release by clicking here.