Summer should be a time for kids to learn, play, and enjoy their break from school. But for many families across Maryland, summer can also bring challenges when school meals are no longer available.
That’s why No Kid Hungry Maryland is working alongside local schools and community organizations to help ensure children continue to have access to healthy meals throughout the summer months.
This year, No Kid Hungry Maryland is supporting five summer meal sponsors with over $100,000 in grant funds as they expand rural non-congregate summer meal service in communities across the state. These sponsors are helping reach more children in rural areas through innovative approaches such as additional grab-and-go meal distributions, extended meal delivery routes, and multi-day meal pickups that make it easier for families to access food where they live.
The following organizations are receiving support this year:
- Baltimore County Public School District
- Garrett County Public Schools
- Kent County Public Schools
- Queen Anne’s County Public Schools
- St. Mary’s County Public Schools
While every community’s approach looks different, each sponsor shares the same goal: making sure more kids have access to nutritious meals all summer long.
See How Sponsors Are Expanding Summer Meals This Year
Across Maryland, our grantees are finding new ways to reach more children, serve additional communities, and strengthen existing programs. Here are just a few examples of what that expansion looks like this summer.
Baltimore County Public School District
Baltimore County Public School District is expanding its non-congregate meal service. They are increasing meal distributions from five to seven days’ worth of meals at a time. Compared to last year, they plan on serving 20,000 meal boxes.
To support this amount of growth, the district is investing in equipment such as heavy duty carts, custom packing tape, and marketing materials.
Queen Anne’s County Public Schools
As another sponsor growing its summer meal operations, Queen Anne’s County Public Schools is working to increase access for children in the county through a mobile distribution program that delivers seven-day meal bags and by expanding the number of rural non-congregate meal sites.
To support this expansion, the district is investing in equipment, such as a refrigerated reefer truck to properly store and transport seven-day meal boxes for rural non-congregate meal distribution.
St. Mary’s County Public Schools
Another example of summer meal expansion is the work of St. Mary’s County Public Schools in the county. Building on last year’s efforts, St. Mary’s County Public Schools is now expanding outreach, reinforcing food safety education, and ensuring that critical resources remain accessible long after initial distribution.
To support this expansion, the district is investing in equipment, such as insulated grocery bags, thermometers, and food safety guidelines to support families in safe food-handling practices.
These examples represent just a snapshot of the work happening across Maryland this summer. No Kid Hungry Maryland is proud to support these efforts and help communities build stronger summer meal programs that reach more children where they are.
