USDA Summer Food Service Program

The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) operates two agencies within its jurisdiction that focus on food, nutrition and the consumer ("About FNS"). The first agency, the Food and Nutrition Service works to address the reduction of hunger in conjunction with other organizations through supplying youth and impoverished individuals entree to good food, a proper diet and access to nutritional education consistent with advancing U. S. agriculture and enhancing public confidence ("USDA Agencies and Offices"). The second agency operating within the U. S. Department of Agriculture umbrella is the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. This agency functions to promote the robustness and health of U. S. citizens through the creation and improvement of dietary navigation connecting reliable research with consumer’s nutritional requirements.

The Food and Nutrition Service operates fifteen nutritional aid programs with the goal of eliminating nationwide hunger and obesity ("About FNS"). Among the federally administered programs are the school meal program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In association with state and sovereign tribal governments, one in four Americans are provided resources annually, with the overarching goal that, “no American should have to go hungry” ("About FNS"). Program participants are provided nutritious and safe foods. Participants include pregnant women, babies and young children in academic environments, such as day care and school; underprivileged families who get their food from food banks; neighborhood farmers markets and grocery stores. Investments in the provision of healthy and safe food support thriving healthcare systems, academic programs and a strong and competitive workforce. The agency operates from a perspective of providing sound management and oversight of taxpayer dollars, resulting in vigorous efforts to reinforce efficiencies and zealous protection against fraud ("About FNS").        

The Food and Nutrition Service accomplishments include, expanding entrée to healthy and safe food for those who are eligible; minimizing households that suffer food security issues; increasing collaborative efforts with schools to ensure foods served or sold meet national food quality standards; encouraging nutritional diets and vigorous lifestyles on the part of program participants; and controlling ill-advised payments in SNAP, one of the largest federal nutritional programs ("About FNS"). The agency is committed to make certain that the needs of the underprivileged are addressed, economic issues are studied and managed, and American tax dollars are protected.

The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion reports to the Office of the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services within the USDA ("About CNPP"). The agency’s objective is to enhance U. S. citizen’s health through scientifically relevant means. Composed mostly of nutrition scientists, economists, dieticians, nutritionists and policy gurus, the CNPP staff determines and coordinates dietary and nutritional education policy in the USDA, and convert its research into usable information for use of the American consumer, healthcare professionals, academics, policy makers, industry heads, and the media. The CNPP’s goal is accomplished though the promotion of nutritional directives, the determination of dietary standards and consumer advocacy of food and nutritional economic information ("About CNPP").  

The USDA Summer Food Service Program

The USDA Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), is part of the Department’s mission to ensure that impoverished children have access to healthy nutritious meals during the summer months, when schools are closed ("Summer Food Service Program "). The USDA expects that it will serve over 200 million free meals to youth 18 years old and under through SFSP sites. The meal sites are federally approved, state administered distribution locations (“How to Participate”). The key participants in the program are state agencies, sponsor entities and sites. The main function of state agencies is to serve as the program administrator and liason between themselves and the USDA. Sponsoring entities sign contracts with the state agencies to direct their particular program. A sponsoring entity can be a school, a non-profit (faith-based or otherwise), neighborhood government agencies, camps, or other organizations that have the capacity to implement a food service program. The sponsor will be reimbursed by the SFSP and can operate multiple sites. Sites, which work in tandem with sponsors, are local places where children eat the meals, and are safe, supervised locations. Settings possibilities are numerous including schools, community centers, clinics, churches, hospitals, parks, apartment complexes or migrant centers (“How to Participate”).

Ways to Participate 

Those organizations interested in participating can contact their state agency to determine if they are the appropriate type of institution (“How to Participate”). The agency will determine if the organization is located in an eligible area and, if so, will put the organization in touch with a sponsor. In addition to becoming a meal site, an organization can promote the existence of the program in the neighborhood and local community. Organizations can distribute flyers and door hangers announcing the location of summer meal programs. Organizations can also offer engaging activities for children at their site, in an effort to encourage kids to come back again and again, and inspire physical and mental activity. Local teenagers can be recruited to help out, which will in turn provide the teenagers with new supervisory responsibilities and skills. Volunteering at existing sites is another way to help. Individuals or groups can help serve meals to children, transport meals from one location to another, or organize fun activities for the kids.

Why is SFSP Important?

The Summer Food Service Program is an important component in any community because it helps keep our children healthy and ready to learn ("Frequently Asked Questions”). It provides kids with the nutrients needed to play, learn and grow. Sound nutrition is key to effective learning in school. Many children do not receive proper nourishment on a daily basis. SFSP helps to ensure that progress made to enhance a child’s physical and social development during the school year is continued during the summer vacation months, too. In this way, children will be ready to return to school eager and ready to learn ("Frequently Asked Questions”).

Summer Food Service Program Resources: Creating Excitement

The SFSP also offers resources to get children and parents thinking about nutritional eating habits and physical activity in the summer ("Summer Food, Summer Moves”). The toolkit can be used by site operators and it emphasizes a multimedia approach including games, movement, music and art to get children and their parents to select hearty fruits and vegetables, drink water instead of sodas and other sugar-based drinks, and inspire families to seek physical activity on a daily basis while reducing TVs, computers and other screen time devices. Among the many resources available are activity guides, recipes, placemats, posters, graphics and flyers ("Summer Food, Summer Moves”).

The HealthierUS School Challenge

The HealthierUS School Challenge: Smarter Lunchrooms (HealthierUS Challenge) is a USDA program that offers recognition to schools that have entered the Team Nutrition program and have made significant changes to their school environments by making health, nutrition and physical activity a key component impacting children’s lives (“HealthierUS School Challenge”). First Lady Michelle Obama started the Let’s Move Program and consolidated it with the HealthierUS Challenge to inspire and raise healthier children. This is when incentive awards were incorporated into the HealthierUS Challenge program. Team Nutrition schools could earn any one of four awards such as the bronze, silver, gold, or the gold award of distinction for their efforts. To date, 5,377 schools across the U. S. have received awards - 208 gold award of distinction, 328 gold, 1,124 silver and 3,717 bronze (“HealthierUS School Challenge”).

Some of the activities schools took on included getting students and faculty to walk a mile around the track each morning before school, called the Morning Mile; creating a nutrition club, where students would visit other classrooms and discuss new ideas on the topic of nutrition; holding a health fair, where each class is responsible for an important aspect of health, with the best health topic winning a party; creating Power Point presentations on fitness and nutrition; creating after school activity clubs, like yoga, volleyball, or inline skating; and making edible arrangements with fruits and vegetables to make eating healthy fun (“Tips from Award Winners”).

Engaging the community was important, as well (“Tips from Award Winners”). Schools were encouraged to speak on radio shows, talk with reporters at newspapers; inspire competition between schools on the subject of nutrition; or create a parent’s room with educational materials for healthier living for moms and dads.

Baltimore, Maryland

In Baltimore, Maryland, The Family League of Baltimore, in collaboration with Youth Works, hires youth to assist in serving meals to the Summer Food Service Program recipients citywide (“Summer Jobs + Summer Meals”). This year Youth Workers will design and start a survey regarding the quality of the meals they are receiving and the nature of the site in which they are fed. The results of the survey will be shared with site operators in an effort to make the programs better. Meanwhile, the Youth Works students are gaining leadership, management and employment skills to enhance their future. The Family League of Baltimore provides the Youth Works staff with logistical information to ensure that Youth Workers are familiar with the location of the sites nearest to them. 

For Additional Information 

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Works Cited

"About CNPP." United States Department of Agriculture. USDA.gov. n. d. Web. 13 June 2016. <http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/about-cnpp>.

"About FNS." United States Department of Agriculture. USDA.gov. n. d. Web. 13 June 2016. <http://www.fns.usda.gov/about-fns>.

"Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)." United States Department of Agriculture. USDA.gov. n. d. Web. 13 June 2016. <http://www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp/frequently-asked-questions-faqs>.

"HealthierUS School Challenge: Smarter Lunchrooms." United States Department of Agriculture. USDA.gov. n. d. Web. 13 June 2016. <http://www.fns.usda.gov/hussc/healthierus-school-challenge-smarter-lunchrooms>.

"How to Participate in Summer Meals." United States Department of Agriculture. USDA.gov. n. d. Web. 13 June 2016. <http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/sfsp/SFSP-Fact-Sheet.pdf>.

"Schools Out! Power Up for Summer Fun." United States Department of Agriculture. USDA.gov. n. d. Web. 13 June 2016. <http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/sfsp/summerresources2016.pdf>.

"Summer Food Service Program ."  United States Department of Agriculture. USDA.gov. n. d. Web. 13 June 2016. <http://www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp/summer-food-service-program>.

"Summer Food, Summer Moves." United States Department of Agriculture. USDA.gov. n. d. Web. 13 June 2016. <http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/summer-food-summer-moves>.

"Summer Jobs + Summer Meals = Summer Opportunity."  United States Department of Agriculture. USDA.gov. n. d. Web. 13 June 2016. <http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/cn/usda-dol_summernewsletter.pdf>.

"Tips from Award Winners: Energizing Students."  United States Department of Agriculture. USDA.gov. n. d. Web. 13 June 2016. <http://www.fns.usda.gov/hussc/tips-energizing-students>. 

"USDA Agencies and Offices." United States Department of Agriculture. USDA.gov. n. d. Web. 13 June 2016. <http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navtype=MA&navid=AGENCIES_OFFICES_C>.