Summer Food Service Program provides 3 million nutritious meals to children, teens in low-income areas
MADISON — The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction announced today it is working with eligible organizations to serve free meals and snacks to children across the state through the Summer Food Service Program.
Each summer, SFSP sponsors and sites across Wisconsin serve more than 3 million nutritious meals at over 900 locations, helping ensure children and teens in low-income areas maintain access to healthy food even when school is out. A current, updated list of all participating SFSP sponsors and sites can be found on the Wisconsin DPI’s SFSP website.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the SFSP is a critical summer extension of the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. It offers free meals to all children and teens 18 and younger in eligible areas. Individuals over 18 who are enrolled in school programs for students with disabilities may also qualify. Local organizations eligible to sponsor SFSP meal sites include public and private school food authorities, residential public and private nonprofit summer camps, colleges and universities, and private nonprofit organizations, such as Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCAs.
To qualify, meal sites must be located in areas where at least 50 percent or more of households with children are at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Sponsors are reimbursed at USDA-established rates and must follow federal nutrition guidelines, and meals must comply with federal nutrition standards. Individuals over 18 years of age who are determined by a state or local public educational agencies to be mentally or physically disabled and who also participate in a public or private nonprofit school program during the regular school year are also eligible to receive free meals.
Those seeking access to summer meals at a SFSP sponsor location can search sponsor locations by contacting 2-1-1 of Wisconsin, or by visiting the Summer Meals Site Finder on the USDA’s website.
For more information, contact Wisconsin DPI Nutrition Program Consultant Amy Kolano via email at Amy.Kolano@dpi.wi.gov, or by phone at 608-266-7124.
The DPI is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
In accordance with federal civil rights laws 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, complete USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form AD-3027, which can be found online on the USDA’s website, 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: Program.Intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
