A key part of No Kid Hungry's strategy is to expand participation in the federal summer meals programs. This summer we are offering grants to schools and community organizations that are serving
eligible rural communities by expanding non-congregate feeding models (i.e. grab-n-go meals, home-delivered meals, and/or parent/caregiver pick-ups) as part of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) or Seamless Summer Option (SSO)
. Grant amounts will vary depending on program need and alignment with focus areas.
*Please note, SFSP & SSO rural non-congregate feeding models must be approved by the New York State Education Department (SED). For more resources on non-congregate meal service, please visit the SFSP webpage on the SED website and/or contact your Child Nutrition Program representative.
Grant funds will be prioritized for sponsors seeking to expand reach of non-congregate meal programs in high-priority communities. Strategies may include:
- New sponsors who have previously not served non-congregate meals launching programs to operate in new areas with gaps in service.
- Existing sponsors adding new non-congregate meal sites and/or increasing accessibility of existing sites by keeping sites open additional hours, increasing the number of meals being served, shifting hours to better meet community needs, or improving site locations.
- Leveraging non-congregate models which have been demonstrated to be more effective at reaching kids, including home delivery and mobile route distribution.
- Maximizing program operations to serve the maximum allowable number of meals each week and for the duration of the summer.
The priority deadline is complete the inquiry form is
Friday, April 4th. Please note that completion of the inquiry form does not constitute an automatic invitation to complete a No Kid Hungry grant application.
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Liz Lucas at elucas@strength.org.
