While it may still feel like winter, at No Kid Hungry Virginia, we’re thinking ahead to summer—because for many kids who rely on school meals, summer can be the hungriest time of the year. Thankfully, schools and community organizations across Virginia are stepping up to ensure children have access to the healthy food they need through summer meals programs.
At No Kid Hungry Virginia, we’re dedicated to supporting families and the incredible summer meals sponsors working to make a difference. We’ve gathered resources to help providers plan, implement, and enhance programs that ensure kids can thrive.
Rural Non-Congregate Meals Resources
Planning Resources
- Proactive Planning for Summer Meals Sponsors
- This year-round planning calendar is designed to support a program planning and implementation timeline that maximizes sponsor capacity to operate a sustainable summer meals program.
- Are Mobile Meals Right for Your Community?
- This resource will help you make a preliminary assessment to determine community need and organizational capacity for a mobile meals solution in your community.
- Maximizing Resources: Financial Strategies and Staffing Solutions For Non-Congregate Summer Meals
- 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.
- Expanding Programmatic Reach Through Freeze and Thaw Meal Programs
- This resource will explain how to start your own freeze and thaw program and tips and tricks to make it successful.
Implementation Resources
- Rural Non-Congregate Summer Meal Programs: Understanding the Caregiver Experience
- No Kid Hungry conducted site observations at three different sites, each of which operated a different non-congregate model (grab-and-go, mobile meals, and delivery). Interviews with caregivers surfaced many recommendations for participant-centered summer non-congregate meal programs.
- Benefits of Hiring Student Workers in Summer Non-Congregate Programs
- No Kid Hungry awarded five summer non-congregate meal sponsors across the country funding to hire high school and college student workers for their summer 2024 operations. The sponsors utilized these workers to prep, pack, and distribute meals; survey families in person during pick-up; develop online surveys; create marketing materials; and help manage operations.
- Fueling Participation: Boost Engagement In Your Non-Congregate Summer Meals Program Through Marketing and Promotion
- Elevate your summer meal program’s reach and impact by watching our webinar! 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.
- Evaluating and Incorporating Feedback into Your Summer Meals Program
- Learn how three summer meals sponsors incorporate site, community, and kid’s feedback to improve their programs.
At No Kid Hungry Virginia, we’re inspired by the dedication of meal sponsors and providers across the Commonwealth who work tirelessly to ensure kids have access to nutritious meals all summer long. For additional resources to support your summer meals program, visit our Center for Best Practices Resource Library. Need guidance or assistance? Fill out our inquiry form, and we’ll be in touch to help!