How does SFSP work?

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds the Free Summer Meals program. The program was created in 1968 to help feed children over the summer.

In Illinois, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) helps USDA by finding sponsors for summer meals and rule enforcement. Sponsors work with ISBE to determine types of meals are best and complete administrative paperwork. Sponsors pay for the food up front and expect to be reimbursed for those meals. Sponsors then choose sites- specific places where kids can go to get meals. These sites provide the food to kids, set up activities for kids, and keep track of how many kids come every day. Sites are strategically located to help serve the greatest number of kids and the areas that need summer food the most.

For more information and updates on Summer Meals, visit us on Facebook at SummerMealsIllinois and follow us on Twitter at @SummerMealsIL.

We hope to see you at a Summer Meals site this summer!