No Kid Hungry Kentucky, a partnership campaign between the Kentucky Kids Eat Program of Feeding Kentucky and Share Our Strength, works to end childhood hunger by increasing access to federally funded, state administered child nutrition programs including the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) of the National School Lunch Program. As part of our focus on summer during Spring 2024, No Kid Hungry Kentucky has compiled this list of resources to aid SFSP and SSO sponsors providing rural, non-congregate meals, also known as SUN Meals to Go.
Both SFSP, now referred to by the USDA as Sun Meals, and SSO provide nutritious meals to eligible children at meals sites in low-income areas during the summer months. While the SSO is an option exclusively available to school food authorities, SFSP is open to public or private nonprofit school food authorities (SFA); public or private nonprofit colleges or universities; public or private nonprofit residential summer camps; units of local, county, municipal, state, or federal governments; or any other type of tax-exempt private nonprofit organizations. Through the summer meal programs, program operators provide meals to children at various sites in their communities at no cost.
Historically, meals were required to be consumed in a congregate setting on the site premises. Despite efforts by many, only 1 in 6 children who received free or reduced-price school meals participated in summer meal programs in a typical year, representing a large gap in the number of children in need of summer meals and those who received them. Children living in rural communities, in particular, experienced multiple barriers to accessing congregate only summer meals.
In December 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 authorized a permanent option for non-congregate summer meals in rural areas without congregate service. The law permitted USDA to issue temporary guidance based on past work to support implementation in 2023. Then, as required by law, on December 29, 2023, USDA issued its Interim Final Rule (IFR): Establishing the Summer EBT Program and Rural Non-Congregate Option in the Summer Meal Programs. The IFR takes immediate effect to guide Summer 2024 operations.
SUN Meals to Go (non-congregate meals) addresses critical access challenges in rural areas by allowing SFSP and SSO program operators to provide meals available for pick up or delivery that children can eat at the time and place that is convenient for them.
USDA Interim Final Rule Summary: Non-Congregate Summer Meals
This resource summarizes the updates ma Summary de by the IFR to the regulations for non-congregate meal service, including the new definition of “rural” and new guidance on models like parent/guardian meal pick-up and multi-day meal distribution.
Interim Final Rule on Non-Congregate Summer Meals: Top Takeaways for Operators
Implementing non-congregate service is an exciting opportunity to expand the reach of summer meals and provide more children with much-needed nutrition during the summer months. This resource summarizes the top takeaways for program operators and highlights some key differences from 2023 guidance.
Offering Multiple Meals as Part of Summer Non-Congregate Meal Service
As part of non-congregate summer meal service in rural areas, summer meal sponsors may provide bulk food items that contribute to multiple meals for children. This resource from the USDA FNS provides of list of considerations for summer meal sponsors offering multiple meals for pick-up or via delivery.
Benefits of Hiring Student Workers in Summer Non-Congregate Programs
This resource details how hiring youth workers can support summer non-congregate programs, from packing meals to surveying families to helping manage operations.
Making the Most of a Moment: Non-Congregate Meal Service in Rural Areas Fact Sheet
This resource gives an overview of the opportunity, provides important information about non-congregate meals, and outlines ways that you can support non-congregate meals in your state or region.
The No Kid Hungry Non-Congregate Summer Meals Rural Eligibility Map will show you if your area meets USDA’s definition of rural for the purpose of qualifying to provide non-congregate summer meals in FY2024.
Successful Non-Congregate Meal Service Models For Rural Areas: Implementation Guide
This resource outlines effective non-congregate meal service models including considerations when providing non-congregate meal service; meal distribution models including drive thru or curbside pick-up, walk-up distribution, mobile route distribution, and direct home delivery; meal distribution logistics; communication; and partnerships and additional services. Use this guide to find strategies and tactics to execute a successful non-congregate summer meals program in your rural community.
Non-Congregate Meal Model Considerations
This resource outlines considerations for sponsors when choosing which non-congregate model(s) they want to operate. Each model is defined with individual considerations for sponsors to consider.
Summer Food Service Program Administration Guide
The USDA guide describes the policies and best practices for successful operation of traditional in-person summer meal sites and alternate meal service options for rural communities. It is tailored to anyone who is interested in learning program policy including, but not limited to, how to participate, apply, administer, and operate the SFSP at various levels.
SFSP Meals Distributed to Guardians
The guidance document from the Kentucky Department of Education – School and Community Nutrition Division summarizes the requirements related to SFSP 08-2024, Questions 24-27 around guardians picking up meals for children at SFSP sites.
Bridging the Gap: Building Authentic Partnerships Between Urban and Rural Organizations
This resource will highlight practical strategies for building meaningful relationships that transcend the urban-rural divide, fostering a spirit of cooperation and mutual support.
No Kid Hungry has created a summer meals outreach toolkit to help you get the word out to families. A range of ready-made promotional materials are available to help publicize summer meals in your community. Use these resources to maximize the impact of outreach efforts in schools, faith communities, community organizations and online. This toolkit was updated to include additional non-congregate meal site outreach tools for Summer 2024.
Rural Communications Best Practices
Check out this resource for best practices around rural communications for non-congregate meals. We provide range of ideas and examples to enhance your program’s communication plan so families know about your programs!
More Summer Smiles Promotional Toolkit: SUN Meals Shareable Materials
USDA created this toolkit for stakeholders to use create awareness and promote the More Summer Smiles campaign which launched in Spring 2024. USDA’s “More Summer Smiles” campaign captures what SUN programs including SUN Meals (Summer Food Service Program) and SUN Meals to Go (Non-Congregate Summer Food Service Program) are all about: more choices, more convenience, better nutrition. USDA created this campaign based on consumer and stakeholder testing to ensure it is relevant, appealing, and easy to understand. Toolkit includes digital, brand, and print materials in English, Spanish, and other languages which can be downloadable and customizable.
USDA Summer Meals for Kids Site Finder
This mapping tool allows you to search for summer meals you eat on site or take to go.
Rural Non-Congregate Summer Meals in 2023: Insights from the First Year of a New Program
Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry led a study to describe the implementation and elucidate lessons learned from this historic first year of the non-congregate summer meals option in rural areas in summer 2023. Through a combination of documented conversations and surveys with state agencies and sponsors, as well as No Kid Hungry staff working directly with states, we have pieced together a comprehensive picture of what summer 2023 implementation of non-congregate meals looked like in terms of challenges, successes, and opportunities to expand and improve the program in summer 2024 and beyond.
2023 Summer Meals Survey of Rural Families
In June 2023, No Kid Hungry partnered with FM3 Research to survey 600 rural families eligible for free or reduced price school meals about their experiences during the summer as well as their experiences with and preferences for summer meal service. A web-based survey was conducted and administered as telephone-based or online-based interviews. While features like location, transportation, and safety are important practical considerations, survey findings further elaborate the characteristics that families consider when determining whether a meal site is accessible to them. Findings from this survey describe aspects of rural families’ preferences for program characteristics that influence their access to summer meal service.
Case Studies
Interim Final Rule on Non-Congregate Summer Meals: What It Means for You This Summer
This webinar provided an overview of the interim final rule (IFR) on non-congregate summer meals in rural areas. It covers the definition of rural and showcase No Kid Hungry’s summer eligibility map. It also summarized allowable models and flexibilities along with other key changes and requirements. Finally, the webinar will addresses commenting on the IFR to inform the final rule.
In summer 2024, school districts in rural communities have an opportunity to operate non-congregate models to better reach kids with healthy summer meals. Bringing meals to communities has been proven through research and pandemic operations to be one of the best ways to expand access to the summer meals program in rural communities. There are many different ways schools can operate a mobile non-congregate meal program to best meet the needs of their community. In this webinar, you hear from three districts who have taken meal programs on the road and, as a result, significantly expanded their summer meal operations.
No matter the size of your summer operations, there are non-congregate models that could help your rural community – whether you’re transporting meals, offering grab n’ go options, bulk distributions, or adding take-home meals to existing summer programming. Learn how three organizations approached non-congregate meals last summer, working with different community partners to reach more kids.
Elevate your summer meal program’s reach and impact! Gain invaluable insights into targeted marketing techniques designed to drive increased participation and ensure no child goes hungry during the summer break. From tailored outreach to social media utilization and community engagement, learn how to effectively promote your program and make a lasting difference in your community.
Maximizing Resources: Financial Strategies and Staffing Solutions for Non-Congregate Summer Meals
Watch this insightful webinar tailored to financial management and staffing considerations in non-congregate summer meals programs. Delve into effective strategies for optimizing budgets, leveraging community partnerships, and staffing solutions to ensure seamless operations and maximum impact in feeding children during the summer months. Learn from experts in the field and gain practical insights to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of your program, empowering you to make a lasting difference in combating childhood hunger.
Unlocking Access: Implementing Home Delivered Meals to Expand Summer Meal Access for Rural Families
Flexibilities in the rural non-congregate summer meals program allow for meals to be delivered directly to students’ homes. Community organizations and school districts have the option to explore what a home delivery meal model can look like. In this webinar, we explore practical approaches and best practices for establishing and enhancing home delivery services within the summer meal program. Learn how three expert organizations planned and implemented home deliveries during summer 2023 and how they are planning for success in summer 2024.
Summer Success: Boosting Participation with Expert Menu Planning
Explore menu creation and recipe development designed specifically for rural non-congregate summer meal service. In this webinar, three child nutrition experts share their experience in menu planning for summer meal services. Our experts provide invaluable strategies and ideas for preparing appealing and nutritious summer menus aimed at increasing child participation in summer meals.
For even more information, we encourage you to visit the following webpages: