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Summer is here!
School is ending and summer meal programs are starting! WithinReach partners with OSPI to publicize summer meal programs all through the summer. OSPI is busy updating site information on a daily basis – we have over 650 sites listed already.
To let families and other providers know where they can find a meal site nearby, place theSummer Meals Widget on your website to display the search tool showing meal sites in communities across Washington.
Sponsors, please check your site info online
Sponsors should check www.ParentHelp123.org regularly over the next few weeks to make sure site information is accurate, complete and displaying info as you intend it to.
- Review your sites on the Summer Meals Search Tool
- If sites are not listed, check back for updates
- If there are corrections, email or call OSPI's new Summer Meals Manager, Jennifer Mitchell at: 360-725-6056
Connect families to summer meals
School is ending and summer meal programs are starting! WithinReach partners with OSPI to publicize summer meal programs all through the summer.
Families can find their closest meal site when they:
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Dairy Council promotes summer meals on the radio
Special thanks to the Washington Dairy Council for their continuing support of the Summer Meals Program! Statewide radio ads featuring Seahawk Mike Robinson are playing June 10 - July 31 to help families find a local site by advertising ParentHelp123.org and the Family Food Hotline.
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Sponsors doing exciting new things with their programs
Two programs making great strides in expanding participation in their programs:
- Federal Way Public Schools, the City of Federal Way, United Way of King County (UWKC) and several community-based organizations (CBOs) are collaborating to enhance the Summer Meal Program. Three school buses have been refurbished to support meal delivery and will be outfitted with books, computers and educational games. These buses and another mobile meal van will stop at apartment complexes and parks in high-need areas in Federal Way. Volunteers, managed by UWKC AmeriCorps* VISTAs and interns, will engage kids at the summer meals sites. This project has involved staff from all levels of the school district, multiple city departments, UWKC, the faith community and CBOs, in particular the Multi-Service Center, Des Moines Area Food Bank and Communities in Schools. For more information, contact Mary Weir.
- After researching Summer Meals best practices locally and nationally, Food Lifeline (FLL) developed a program model called Kids Cafe that was piloted summer of 2012. Based on last year's successful pilot, FLL will be expanding to 7 sites across 5 counties and are expecting to serve 15,000 meals in 2013. Read more about Kids Cafe or contact Rebecca VanMaren for more information.
Have you grown your Summer Meals Program? Send us details for future newsletters.
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Great ways to advertise Summer Meals
Help get the word out to communities across Washington:
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Congratulations to Feed Your Brain Grantees
School’s Out Washington offers Feed Your Brain grants for summer literacy and summer meal programs for kids in rural, high poverty communities. Congratulations to the 2013 Grantees!
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Washington ranks 38th among all states for participation in Summer Meals
Food Research and Action Center’s (FRAC) annual report on Summer Meals - Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation, identifies huge gaps in the nutrition safety net for low-income children – across the country and in Washington: our state ranks 38th among all states in participation in the Summer Meal program. Read more in a brief about Washington’s Summer Meals program and how communities need to step up to feed more kids.
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"Troubleshooting Problems that Arise during the Summer"
National conference call - Tuesday July 2 10-11am
FRAC will host a national conference call to help programs troubleshoot issues in their programs mid-summer and learn from seasoned experts how to boost participation and maintain your momentum! Click here to register
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The WA Summer Meals Partnership sends periodic newsletters to keep statewide partners up-to-date on the latest information about the Summer Meals Program.
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