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When School’s Out, Food is In!

Summer has traditionally been the hungriest time for kids because many of the meals they receive in school disappear. When the last bell rings at the end of the school year, millions of children are cut off from the healthy meals they get each day at school. Summer meals are not reaching all kids. Without reliable sources of healthy food throughout the summer, more kids experiencing food insecurity are at risking of returning to school further behind academically, which can have exponential ramifications year after year.

Summer is a time for connection, exploration, and fun. That’s why we are dedicated to ensuring kids and teens, particularly in rural areas across the state, have access to summer meal programs.

Learn about how Summer is the Hungriest Time of the Year and how we’re supporting partners feed kids during the summer in rural communities.

FEEDING KIDS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

Also known as the “Rural Non-Congregate Summer Meals,” this summer meal service model provides meals to children to consume off site. Programs must be operated at sites designated “rural” with no congregate meal service. See the USDA rural designation map and No Kid Hungry’s Summer Eligibility Map, and check if you have an eligible site near you.

No Kid Hungry collaborated with school districts and community organizations across the U.S. to help close the hunger gap. We convened state and federal officials, community leaders and parents to share ideas and work together on ways to feed kids this summer. We also provided grants and technical support to schools and community organizations in California, which helped them purchase critical equipment, as well as hire and retain staff to run pick-up and meal delivery programs in rural areas.

How Does Summer Meals Help Kids?

For many children and teens, summertime means food, friends and fun. For families who count on school breakfast and lunch, however, the summer months can be stressful as family food budgets are stretched even further.

The summer meals program has a lot of opportunity to grow:

  • Of the more than 18 million students who ate free or reduced-price school lunches in 2020-2021, only 5.6 million were served summer meals in 2021. That means 7 out of 10 young people were missing out.
  • Only 40% of families report being aware of locations where summer meals are served. However, when surveyed, 68% say they are interested in the program.
  • Of those families that have participated in summer meals, 90% say they would recommend the summer meals site to others and are interested in continued participation.
  • Studies show that kids are at a higher risk for both hunger and obesity during the summer months.

Become a Sponsor

Become a Sponsor for Summer 2025. Are you part of a school or community organization interested in offering the rural summer feeding program in your area? Visit our Center for Best Practices’ page for more information on the federal rules, eligibility and more.

Summer Grant Opportunity

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 rural communities by providing non-congregate feeding models as part of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) or Seamless Summer Option (SSO).

Our average grant award range between $10,000 – $15,000. Grant amounts will vary depending on program need and alignment with focus areas.

2025 Summer Grant Cycle: CLOSED

Please visit the No Kid Hungry website to learn more about No Kid Hungry’s grantmaking beliefs and values.

Click the links and read the entire No Kid Hungry CA’s Summer Spotlight Series, these are stories of some of our amazing and tenacious partners who weathered extreme heat and distance to get summer meals to kids.

Resources for Partners

We collaborate with schools and provide partners with necessary technical expertise, trainings, peer-to-peer support, research, and grants. We’re focused on the ways to increase the number of kids eating school meals by incorporating breakfast as part of the school day.

  • Visit our Center for Best Practice, a repository of information, tools, and resources designed to successfully end childhood hunger.

Last update: March 12, 2025