The state of Iowa's releasing details of a summer food program for low-income students. There are nearly 500 sites across the state.
There are three easy ways to find where summer meal sites are operating:
Text “Food” or “Comida” to 304-304
Call any of these numbers:
2-1-1
1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479), for English
1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273), for Spanish
Visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/meals4kids
“For Iowa kids and families who rely on school meals, summer can be the hungriest time of year, creating short- and long-term consequences for a child’s health, education and well-being,” said Kala Shipley, chief of the Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services at the Iowa Department of Education. “Making sure kids and teens have access to nutritious meals is especially important this summer.”
The Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option, funded by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), administered by the Iowa Department of Education, and operated by school districts and local organizations, can be found at sites throughout the state. These sites provide nutritious meals and snacks to children in low-income areas during the summer months. Summer sites offer free meals for all children and teens age 18 and under.