The Tennessee Department of Human Services hosted its third annual Summer Food Service Program Summer Summit at returning sponsor, the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee’s, Nashville location. The summit is one of ways the department is continuing its No Tennessee Child Should Go Hungry initiative.
The 2016 SFSP Summer Summit focused on the importance of partnerships and collaboration to increase the number of children reached through the program.
Attendees included DHS staff, U.S.
Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service and Rural Development staff, past program sponsors, local representatives from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Tennessee Library Association, and Southeastern University Consortium on Hunger, Poverty and Nutrition as well as other state, local, and community partners.
“SFSP sponsors play an integral role in reaching and providing meals to Tennessee children. We appreciate or sponsors and recently honored five with excellence awards as a lead in to a successful 2016 summer,” said DHS Commissioner Dr. Raquel Hatter. “We encourage more Tennesseans with a desire to strengthen our communities to take action – sign up to be a sponsor, sign up to be a site, volunteer to help. Every effort helps ensure no Tennessee child goes hungry.
"In Tennessee, one in four children faces hunger daily. Last summer the SFSP served approximately 4.3 million meals to children across TN. However, the need to feed more children during the summer months continues. Community partners and sponsors play an integral role in reaching children where they are. Sessions like the 2016 SFSP Summer Summit allow opportunities for all involved to learn, collaborate and brainstorm ways to increase the program’s reach and add their strength."
The Summer Food Service Program is a federally funded program intended to ensure that children who benefit from free and reduced price meals during the school year, have access to nutritious meals during the summer months.
Children age 18 and under are eligible to receive meals through the SFSP. In addition, a person 19 years of age and older who has a mental or physical disability and participates during the school year in a public or private non-profit school program established for individuals with disabilities, is also eligible to receive meals.
The program is available to eligible sponsors that might include public schools, private non-profit organizations, government entities, and non-profit residential camps. Sponsors are reimbursed on a per meal basis for meals served to eligible children and may sponsor the SFSP at one or more sites.
Officials said the criteria for sponsorship are simple and straightforward, as outlined in the USDA Administrative Guidance for Sponsors Manual. Sponsoring organizations serve meals to all children in attendance regardless of their race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.
If your organization is interested in sponsoring the SFSP in your community, or becoming a feeding site under an existing sponsor, contact the Department of Human services by e-mail TNSFSP.DHS@tn.gov.