2300 Lapeer Road, Flint MI 48503
(810) 239-4441

Summer Food Service

As the end of the school year approaches, many teachers and students are filled with anticipation of the long, care free summer days to come.

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No more early mornings. No more classes. No more homework. No more tests. However, for many students, the end of summer also signals the end to guaranteed meals on a regular basis. When school is out for summer vacation, millions of children across the nation lose access to the free and reduced-price meals they depend on during the school year.

Food that’s in, when school is out

The Summer Food Service Program, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), aims to fill that gap, providing children with free, healthy meals during the summer months when school is not in session and when many children often face missing meals and lack of proper nutrition. More than 21 million children receive free and reduced-price meals during the school year, but only 17% of these children participate in the Summer Food Service Program.

During the summer, the Food Bank partners with more than 60 feeding sites throughout Genesee and Saginaw counties to help keep young people nourished and healthy. As a sponsor of the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), the Food Bank distributes more than 80,000 meals through daily deliveries to each location during the summer. Breakfast and lunch are provided daily by the Food Bank, as well as kid friendly treats.

We don’t stop there—the Food Bank also strives to provide healthy snacks in our “Summer Take-Home Nutrition” bags. They are offered to every site and are for children to take home and enjoy over the weekend. The bags contain precut veggies, fresh fruit, granola bars, milk and 100% juice. Since its inception in 2011, the Food Bank has distributed over 75,000 nutrition bags.

The Food Bank is currently recruiting sites to serve meals this summer.

Sites can be churches, organizations, housing complexes, or schools, and must be located in an area where more than 50 percent of the students receive free or reduced lunches. The sites must also serve no less than 20 children per day. The Summer Food Service Program runs from mid-June until the end of August.

For more information regarding the Summer Food Service Program or to discuss becoming a site, please contact Kathleen Payton at the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan @ 810-396-0227

Discrimination Policy
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Your gift will aid in the efforts to relieve childhood hunger. Your donations in support of the program is the single best way to help the cause. You can also get involved with your local community schools and help bring the program to your local district. You may volunteer your services to help stuff backpacks during the school day.
DONATE TO THE FOOD BANK
VOLUNTEER AT THE FOOD BANK