In South Carolina, summer meals are now more accessible, flexible, and responsive to the needs of families. Thanks to strong community partnerships and innovative strategies, families have more options to access the food they need during the summer months.
When schools close for the summer, thousands of children can lose access to the nutritious meals they depend on during the school year. With expanded summer meal programs and new rural non-congregate meal delivery and pickup options, such as home delivery, mobile meal routes, and multi-day meal pick-up, South Carolina is building a stronger, more inclusive safety net for families.
This summer, non-congregate summer meal programs are being offered by sponsors across South Carolina, helping families overcome barriers such as lack of transportation or long distances to meal sites.
While there is still work to do, there has been progress in expanding rural access to summer meals. This summer, several sponsors have already exceeded their projected meal distribution numbers for the season.
For example, Performing Arts and Science Academy (PASA), based in Marion, South Carolina, doubled the number of meals served this summer compared to last year. In 2024, they served 77,000 summer meals over two months. This year, they’ve already distributed over 64,000 meals in just one month. They achieved this by expanding into new areas.
Another sponsor, Upstate Circle of Friends (UCF), launched an additional non-congregate meal site in remote Oconee County. With this addition, UCF now serves approximately 1,200 free lunches per day across 20 total sites throughout summer break. The new Oconee site is off to a great start, distributing about 500 meals per week. UCF also piloted a partnership with a local church to deliver meals to hotels. They are boosting engagement by coordinating art activities before meal distribution to help raise awareness and increase participation.
No Kid Hungry South Carolina has had the honor of visiting several summer meal sites across the state. Our team was grateful for the opportunity to see meal service in action at site locations sponsored by organizations such as Union County Schools, Harvest Hope Food Bank, the Family YMCA of Greater Augusta, Greenville County Schools and many others. We appreciate all of the sponsors who welcomed us and allowed us to see the impactful work being done to ensure kids have access to meals all summer.
No Kid Hungry South Carolina is committed to building on this momentum. We’re partnering with schools, local community-based organizations, and state agencies to provide support, expand program reach, and ensure every child in South Carolina has access to the nutrition they need this summer.
