Ensuring Nutritious Meals for North Carolina’s Youth During Summer
During the academic year, over 900,000 students across North Carolina benefit from the School Breakfast, School Lunch, and Afterschool Snack Programs, which provide essential nutrition. As the school year ends, the Summer Meals Programs step in to ensure children and teenagers up to 18 years old continue receiving no-cost, nutritious meals.
Bringing Fitness and Fun with Summer Meals
Besides offering nutritious meals, the N.C. Summer Meals Programs also promote fitness and educational enrichment activities. Families can explore these activities by searching #NCSummerMeals on social media. The program mascot, Ray F. Sun, often makes appearances at events, bringing excitement to communities. Follow @Ray4NCKids to stay updated on Ray’s visits. The “F” in Ray F. Sun highlights the focus on food, fitness, fun, and farm-to-summer activities that enrich communities across North Carolina.
Program operators are motivated to participate in the N.C. Farm to Summer Challenge, which involves integrating local foods into meals and snacks and teaching about agriculture and nutrition. The challenge encourages sharing #farmtosummeractivities and participating in the #NCCrunch during #FarmtoSchool Month. Resources and sign-up details for the challenge can be found on the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) Office of School Nutrition website.
Comprehensive Support from N.C. Summer Meals Programs
Administered by NCDPI with federal support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), these programs primarily target economically distressed areas to aid the most food-insecure children. Meal sites are conveniently located in schools, public housing centers, parks, libraries, and more, serving free meals to eligible children without requiring registration or identification. For additional details, visit the NCDPI Office of School Nutrition website. Those interested in becoming meal sites, activity providers, or volunteers can reach out to the NCDPI Summer Meals Programs Team at summernutritionprogram@dpi.nc.gov.
Introducing SUN Bucks for Enhanced Summer Nutrition
This summer, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) introduces SUN Bucks, also known as Summer EBT. This initiative provides a one-time $120 grocery benefit per eligible school-aged child to purchase nutritious food. Children already approved for free or reduced-price meals during the school year typically qualify automatically. Families of potentially eligible children who do not automatically qualify will receive communication from NCDHHS with application instructions. The application and guidelines are available on the NCDHHS website, with a submission deadline of August 31, 2024, for the summer period. To learn more, visit the SUN Bucks website.
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