The Summer Food Program
Get involved - offer free summer meals.
Locate data and resources.
D.C. Free Summer Meals provides nutritious meals and snacks to low-income children (ages 18 and under) during June, July, and August. Meals and snacks are served at schools, community programs, faith-based programs, and recreation centers across the city. The summer food program is paid for by federal funds, which are available for every child who is eligible.
Hunger doesn’t take a vacation when school lets out. The Free Summer Meals Program fills the nutrition gap for the low-income children who depend on free and reduced-price school lunch and breakfast during the school year. The summer meals program helps families stretch their food budgets throughout the summer months. And it strengthens recreation and enrichment programs by providing a source of federal funding for nutritious food.
What's happening with summer food in D.C.:
Summer Meal Sites Are Now Open!
All recreation centers as well as many schools, churches, and community centers in D.C. are currently serving breakfast and/or lunch as part of the D.C. Free Summer Meals Program.
Click here for a full list of open sites (pdf), organized by ward.
At these locations free meals are available to any youth up to age 18 - all they have to do is show up - no application or registration is required.
Number 1 ranking nationally
D.C. Free Summer Meals has been ranked the best summer food program in the country for six consecutive years for reaching the highest percentage of low-income children! D.C. Hunger Solutions is working to make the program even better. We are encouraging the District agency to make sure that enough sites are serving meals throughout the full length of summer vacation, helping sites use the “Summer Food Standards of Excellence” to rate the quality of their meal programs, and working with meal sites and program sponsors to improve the nutritional quality of the food served.
Efforts to improve the nutrition of summer meals
Beginning in 2009, D.C. Hunger Solutions and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education are partnering to require that summer meals offer more varieties of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat milk.
D.C. Hunger Solutions can help by:
- assisting your organization in applying to be a Free Summer Meals site;
- providing training and assistance on how to operate the program;
- helping improve food quality at your sites;
- providing information on conducting a level of excellence analysis for your site.
Help us spread the word:
- Visit the D.C. Free Summer Meals page at the D.C. Superintendent of Education Web site for a listing of summer meal sites.
- Contact us if your organization would be interested in becoming a D.C. Free Summer Meals site, particularly if you are planning to offer a youth program.
