National Summer Food Service Program Kickoff Week (June 11 – 15)

June 11-15, 2012 is the USDA’s 2nd Annual National Summer Food Service Program Kickoff Week. With most schools out for the summer break, the USDA is using the opportunity to highlight their Summer Food Service Program which helps provide healthy meals to low-income students during the summer months. And because with so many students that qualify for free or reduced lunches, the meals they receive in the school cafeteria are the most nutritious meals they receive, summer meal programs are necessary.

If you’re interested in helping to spread the word about the program, the USDA has plenty of ways for you to get involved. You can share the number for the USDA’s National Hunger Hotline, which offers information on where meal sites are located in your area. They can be reached at 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE. They also offer SFSP Public Service Announcements that you can give to your local radio station and they will play them for free.

They also offer customizable templates for print materials such as fliers, brochures, doorhangers and more.

Follow the USDA blog or @USDANutrition on Twitter for more information.

June is also National Hunger Awareness Month and in addition to Nourish NC and the USDA Summer Food Service Program, we’d like to feature other summer meal programs across the country. Do you have a similar program in your area? Tell us about it!

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