Efforts to Provide Nutritious Summer Meals Expand Across Iowa
In a bid to ensure children do not go hungry during the summer, more than 530 sites are now operational across Iowa. These sites offer free, nutritious meals to children under the age of 18, thanks to the Iowa Department of Education’s summer meal programs. Among these, 124 new locations have been established, with 61 of these sites benefiting from a recent grant aimed at extending services to previously unserved areas.
These programs deliver meals and snacks to young people in lower-income regions, bridging the gap left when school meal programs cease during the summer. The meal sites, distributed across schools, churches, community centers, parks, libraries, and camps, ensure children and youth have access to healthy food options in their communities.
Kala Shipley, bureau chief for nutrition and health services at the Iowa Department of Education, stated, “These summer meal programs help ensure children in low-income areas who rely on school meals during the school year don’t go hungry during the summer months.” She added, “Last summer, more than 1.6 million meals and snacks were served to children through the Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option site sponsors, and we are excited to support even more children with meal sites in previously underserved areas.”
The programs, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and managed by the Iowa Department of Education, are run by school districts and local organizations. They have been further bolstered by Iowa’s Summer Meal Expansion Grant, ensuring children continue to receive necessary nutrition during school breaks.
Meals are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, families can locate their nearest summer meal site through resources provided by the Iowa Department of Education.
Additional details on the Summer Food Service Program and Summer Seamless Option are available on the Department’s website.
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