Summer Meals News: More and more kids in Washington rely on school meals

February 21, 2012 More and more kids in Washington rely on school meals   Over the past 3 school years, there has been an 8% increase in the number of children who rely on school meals. In fall 2011, parents of 467,279 Washington schoolchildren signed them up for free or reduced-price school meals. These kids don’t have to go hungry in the summertime thanks to the federal Summer Food Service Program (Summer Meals). Learn more about Summer Meals and how you and your community can help: WA Summer Meals Guide Summer Meals 101 NEW Summer Meal Fact Sheets - look at your community's program and start planning for 2012   Find out which schools or organizations hosted meal sites last summer and where eligible sites could be for 2012.  See how long sites were open and where service gaps might be.  Talk with current sponsors, identify areas of need and work with community partners to expand capacity. Then pitch in to help build local summer meals options for kids! 2012 Summer Meal County Fact Sheets Check out more resources on the Summer Meals Toolkit Eligible summer meal sites are in areas where more than half the kids are enrolled in free or reduced-price meals at school, or where more than half an area’s residents are low-income. Click here to find out which schools can qualify as a Summer Meal site in your community this summer. For more information, contact Donna Parsons OSPI Child Nutrition Services Director (360) 725-6210   Summer Meals Webinars Take advantage of free training from national and regional experts about starting a Summer Meal program. TOMORROW - Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 2pm:  Partners for a Hunger Free Oregon: "How to Launch a Summer Meals Program"  Feb/March dates: USDA:  "Overview of the Summer Food Service Program" What Organizations and Schools Need to do NOW to become a Sponsor   Organizations that want to sponsor a Summer Meals program work with OSPI to get required training, information and support throughout the spring and summer. Read the overview of sponsor roles/responsibilities and the official OSPI Sponsor Memo File a Letter of Intent to be a Summer Meals Sponsor (deadline is March 9) Attend a required training for Sponsors - dates & locations For more information, contact Donna Parsons, Director OSPI Child Nutrition Services (360) 725-6210   Funding Opportunities for Summer Meal Programs   There are options to help communities fund Summer Meal programs in Washington: Feed Your Brain Grants for summer literacy and summer meal programs in high-poverty, rural communities. OSPI Meals for Kids Grants for start-up or expansion of Summer Meal programs that can fund equipment, training and outreach in any Washington community.  Applications come out in April - you must have a Letter of Intent to be a Sponsor on file at OSPI to apply. United Way of King County Grants for start-up or expansion of Summer Meal programs in King County that can fund equipment, staff and outreach.  For more information, contact Lauren McGowan. The WA Summer Meals Partnership sends periodic newsletters to keep statewide partners up-to-date on the latest information about the Summer Meals Program.  http://www.icontact-archive.com/C9ZecoQL5yw3xrxuUf8TXklzu1CvCE_N?w=4