TULSA, Okla. (June 8, 2022) – As summer kicks into full gear, meal sites across the state are opening their doors and providing free summer meals to children and youth. Any Oklahoma child 18 and under is eligible to receive a free meal at any of the hundreds of participating meal sites while kids are out of school on summer break.
Meal sites can be found at meals4kidsok.org, a partnership of Hunger Free Oklahoma, the Oklahoma State Department of Education and Code for Tulsa.
Summer meal sites are primarily operated through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), a federally-funded, state-administered program that provides children and youth in low-income areas with free and nutritious meals when school is not in session.
“Oklahoma is one of the most food insecure states in the nation, with one in five Oklahoma children lacking access to adequate food and nutrition,” said Chris Bernard, Executive Director of Hunger Free Oklahoma. “Food insecure children are more likely to have lower reading and math scores and lower high school graduation rates. Summer meals help families keep their kids healthy and thriving by replacing the critical meals that children receive when they are in school.”
In 2021, 20.3 million summer meals were served to Oklahoma children, an increase over years past, due in part to COVID-19 flexibilities granted through federal waivers that made meals easier to distribute and consume. Families who previously participated in summer meal programs may experience some changes this summer as pandemic-related waivers expire, including the end of the popular option of picking up meals to go, as many programs return to pre-pandemic operation.
More than 50 sponsors will serve a combination of breakfast and lunch or lunch and a snack at hundreds of sites statewide. Sponsors include school districts, faith-based organizations, nonprofits, municipal governments, camps, and tribal governments. Many sites provide enrichment activities or recreational programming for children. In addition to children 18 and under, individuals 21 and under who are participating in state education programs for people with disabilities may also be eligible.
For more information, visit meals4kidsok.org.
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Hunger Free Oklahoma works to leverage the power of collaboration to solve hunger in Oklahoma by improving systems, policies, and practices. Learn more at HungerFreeOK.org.