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Hunger News and Trends

Kids Cafe Summer Meal Sites

By July 26, 2016July 16th, 2018No Comments

Summer is an exciting time, but for some families it’s a time of uncertainty. More than 300,000 children in Western Washington don’t have access to the meals they normally get at school, leaving many families in a difficult situation.

Out of school time shouldn’t be a hungry time for Western Washington’s children. Thankfully, the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), a federally-funded child nutrition program, helps to alleviate summer hunger and the stress of not knowing when or where the next meal will come from for many families. SFSP provides reimbursements to local organizations, like Food Lifeline, that provide free, nutritious meals to low-income children and teens, 18 years or younger, when school meal programs are not available.

This year, Food Lifeline is hosting 24 Kids Cafe summer meal sites. These sites, made possible by major support from The Boeing Company, are located in high need communities, where more than half the students qualify for free and reduced lunches at school. Kids Cafe meals and snacks are specifically selected to appeal to kid’s notoriously picky palates and to meet their special nutritional needs. By partnering with places like libraries, Boys & Girls Clubs, and other community based organizations, thousands of children have access to nutritious meals during the summer months.

To find a summer meal site near you visit the USDA’s Summer Meals resource finder site.