Feeding Hungry Children in the Summer | Capital Area Food Bank
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Kids Summer Meals Program

Children who rely on school breakfast and lunch programs during the school year often face hunger when classrooms and cafeterias are closed. Through the summer meals program, we provide nutritious meals kids need to continue growing and learning, even when school isn’t in session.

Keeping summer hunger-free

For most children and teens, summer is a time for fun. But for kids in our region who don’t have food at home, summer means long days without enough to eat. We’re working to change that.

Operating through the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program, our Kids Summer Meals Program delivers healthy, kid-friendly meals to apartment buildings, public recreation centers, places of worship, and other locations in neighborhoods where children are at risk of going hungry during the summer months.

Many of our child summer program sites also offer sports and academic enrichment activities, providing kids with opportunities to make the most of summer while also retaining more of the knowledge they gained over the school year.

Find summer meals near you

For summer 2022, the food bank has launched two new webpages featuring interactive maps that show when and where kids can get free meals throughout the summer.  Go to KidsMealsDMV.org or ComidasParaNinos.org to find meals sites near you.

Or:

Host Our Summer Meals Program

If you’re interested in working with us as a summer meals site, please email Alexis Lahr at alahr@capitalareafoodbank.org and view the below partnership requirements.

To qualify as a host for our summer meals program, your site must:

  1.     Have a safe place to serve children (ages 18 and under)
  2.     Serve a minimum of 15 children at least four days a week
  3.     Have at least two adults available to lead meal service
  4.     Be eligible under federal guidelines (we can help you determine this)
  5.     Have an internet connection, computer and/or tablet, a working refrigerator, and sinks to wash serving utensils

Virginia Application Maryland Application DC Application

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

  1. mail:
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
  2. fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
  3. email:
    Program.Intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Help Us Feed Kids During the Summer

The meals we provide over the summer are essential for kids who typically rely on free or reduced school breakfasts and lunches. And you can help. A donation of just one unrestricted dollar makes it possible for us to provide 2 meals. Make an impact in the lives of kids in your neighborhood.

Donate