More than 100,000 North Carolina children will have access to nutritious meals and snacks this summer through the Summer Food Services Program (SFSP) administered by The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Seamless Summer Option administered by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI). The federally-funded summer nutrition programs are available to children ages 18 and under across the state.
Free meals are provided daily at schools, local government agencies, private nonprofit organizations, parks, swimming pools and low-income housing complexes that have been approved as SFSP sites. In some counties, including Edgecombe, Johnston, Scotland, and Buncombe, meals are delivered directly to children as part of a mobile feeding initiative. Participating organizations and counties receive federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide meals to complement the recreational and educational programs they already offer to children.
In summer 2012, the programs provided free meals to an average of 108,630 children each day. North Carolina DHHS and DPI have worked closely since 2011 with No Kid Hungry North Carolina to help expand awareness about free summer meals and increase the number of program sponsors as well as meal sites.
More than 790 sites in 65 North Carolina counties have been approved to participate. To find a free summer meals site near you:
TEXT FoodNC to 877877
ONLINE: http://www.whyhunger.org/findfood or www.nutritionnc.com
CALL: 1.866.3HUNGRY (1.866.348.6479) or 1.877.8HAMBRE (1.877.842.6273).
