How Kids Can Get Free Summer Meals in All 50 States and Washington, D.C.
For millions of children, summertime isn’t a carefree vacation.
Children who receive free meals at school during the academic year often struggle to find similar support during the summer.
To address this problem, the U.S. Department of Agriculture offers the Summer Food Service Program to make sure low-income children still have access to nutritious meals over summer.
How big is the impact made by the summer food program? Last year, about 3.8 million children were served at more than 50,000 summer-meal sites across the country, a USDA spokesman said.
How to Access the USDA Summer Food Service Program
To find out if you meet the income requirements for free meals, check this chart here.
Free food sites range from schools to independently sponsored locations. Certain states have their own site maps and requirements, and the USDA provides a national location-finder map.
For information on sites near you, call the National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8 HAMBRE for a Spanish-speaking operator. You can also text “FOOD” to 877-877 or “COMIDA” to 877-877 for a reply in Spanish.
Read below to learn about how to find free meal sites in your state and application details, if necessary.
1. Alabama
Break for a Plate in Alabama provides two free meals each day to kids and teens up to 18 years old. To participate, use the location finder to search for programs in your area.
2. Alaska
Find program sites in Alaska by using the USDA map.
3. Arizona
Check this site for more information, or use the location finder for spots in your area.
4. Arkansas
Arkansas requires parents to contact their child’s school to apply for the program. Eligibility depends on income and household size. Use the USDA map for sites in your area.
5. California
Use the USDA map locate a food site near you.
6. Colorado
Call Colorado’s Hunger Free Hotline at 855-855-4626, or use the USDA map.
7. Connecticut
End Hunger Connecticut lists summer meal sites, as well as operating dates and times. The site currently says to check back mid-June for open locations.
8. Delaware
Use the USDA map to find locations in Delaware.
9. Florida
Florida’s Summer BreakSpot Program doesn’t require an application — all you have to do is show up during mealtimes. Some sites also offer enrichment activities for children at a low cost, which you can find out about if you call the site ahead of time. Find local sites here.
10. Georgia
To find local sites in Georgia, call 855-550-SFSP, text “FOODGA” to 877-877, or visit the national site finder.
11. Hawaii
Visit the summer food site map on Hawaii.gov to find the 2016 locations. The 2017 sites aren’t listed yet, but you can call Aloha United Way at 211 to find a local site. The income level limits are a bit higher for Hawaii than for other states.
https://www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks
12. Idaho
Use the national site finder to find locations in Idaho and contact them to apply for the program. You could also call the Idaho Department of Education at 208-332-6821 or email [email protected].
13. Illinois
To apply for SFSP in Illinois, contact the state’s nutrition program office at 217-782-2491. Details are available here.
14. Indiana
Find information on the program here.
15. Iowa
Use the USDA locator in Iowa.
16. Kansas
The Kansas Department of Education site provides information here.
17. Kentucky
To find a summer meal service site in Kentucky, refer to the interactive USDA map.
18. Louisiana
Use the interactive USDA map to locate a food site near you.
19. Maine
For summer meal sites in Maine, refer to the interactive USDA map.
20. Maryland
Use the Maryland summer meals site search map to find a location near you. The map includes hours and days of operation, plus directions to each site.
21. Massachusetts
Benefits.gov says that to apply for SFSP in Massachusetts, contact a school near you. School contact information can be found here.
22. Michigan
In Michigan, the SFSP is also known as “Meet Up and Eat Up.” Use the USDA map to find a location near you. This calendar lists additional events at food sites, such as ice-cream socials and family cookouts.
23. Minnesota
Minnesota Public Schools, which administers the state’s SFSP program, released a free app, Summer Eats Minnesota, to help kids find meal sites. The state has more than 80 sites, and kids under 18 don’t need to sign up in advance to take advantage of the program. The app even shows daily menus.
24. Mississippi
To apply for the SFSP, contact the Office of Child Nutrition at 601-354-7015. Once you’ve applied, use the USDA map to locate a food site near you.
25. Missouri
The Missouri Department of Health provides a map of summer food sites. Contact your local site to apply for the SFSP.
26. Montana
To find free summer meals in Montana, use the interactive USDA map, or call the Montana Food Bank Network at 800-809-4752.
27. Nebraska
Check the USDA map to find locations serving summer meals.
28. Nevada
Find out where kids can get up to two meals each day by checking the Nevada Department of Agriculture.
29. New Hampshire
Check the USDA map to find locations serving summer meals.
30. New Jersey
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture has a list of meal sites at a link in the middle of this page.
31. New Mexico
No registration or application is required for kids to receive meals in New Mexico. Use the New Mexico Summer Food Service Program interactive map to find a site near you.
32. New York
Anyone 18 or younger can get free summer meals, no registration or identification required. Beyond the five boroughs, use the interactive USDA map.
33. North Carolina
Check the USDA map to find locations serving summer meals. Families in central and eastern North Carolina can download a list of sites serving those areas. Parents are advised to call first to make sure the nearest site is operating.
34. North Dakota
The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction maintains a list of sites offering summer meals.
35. Ohio
Check the Ohio Department of Education’s interactive map to find locations and serving times near you. No sign-up is required. The state also offers an app to assist in site location.
36. Oklahoma
Use the Food for Thought Summer Food Program interactive map to find feeding sites across Oklahoma.
37. Oregon
Select your city from the list to view a map of summer food sites in Oregon.
38. Pennsylvania
Check the USDA map to find locations serving summer meals.
39. Rhode Island
Use the USDA map to find summer food sites in Rhode Island.
40. South Carolina
Check the USDA map to find locations serving summer meals.
41. South Dakota
Families in South Dakota can use the USDA Summer Meal Finder link at the top of the page to review a list of summer meal sites, or use the USDA map to find a location.
42. Tennessee
Use the USDA map to find summer food sites in Tennessee.
43. Texas
The Texas Department of Agriculture offers an interactive map to locate summer food sites and contact information.
44. Utah
Use the Utahns Against Hunger website to find summer food sites.
45. Vermont
Check the USDA map to find locations serving summer meals.
46. Virginia
Check the USDA map to find locations serving summer meals.
47. Washington
Use the USDA location finder to determine your nearest site.
48. West Virginia
Information, application requirements and contact information are available at Benefits.gov.
49. Wisconsin
Check Wisconsin’s Open Food Sites Map to find a location near you.
50. Wyoming
Use the USDA map to find locations serving summer meals.
51. Washington, D.C.
Use the USDA map to find summer meal sites in Washington, D.C.
Jacquelyn Pica is a writer and SEO specialist at The Penny Hoarder. Lisa Rowan also contributed to this report.
