Tuesday, August 27, 2024
As the 2024 summer comes to a close, we wanted to highlight the 260 Summer Meal sponsors operating at nearly 960 sites across the state. Thanks go out to so many agencies who partnered with us: public and private schools, private non-profits (like Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs, The Salvation Army, summer residential camps, faith-based organizations) as well as government agencies, colleges and universities, and Tribal organizations.
All of their milk and many of their vegetables are sourced from local farms right in Marshfield! Photo: School District of Marshfield.
Though many summer meal sites are public buildings like schools, Boys & Girls Clubs, and YMCAs, there were many other locations which might surprise you. Meals were also hosted at apartment complexes, city and county parks, community-based organizations hosting summer enrichment activities for children, libraries, migrant education program locations and rural trailer parks.
Shoutout to Stephanie Graveen, Katie Bedward, and rest of the staff at the Flynn Elementary School on their last day of summer feeding.
Photo: Eau Claire Area School District.
Summer meal sites served anywhere from 5 children to over 300 in a day, depending on the activities going on at the site. Some sponsors also had mobile routes, where they go out into the community and travel to areas out of major towns to reach children who cannot access a traditional summer meal site.
New in 2023, sponsors in rural areas are able to provide non-congregate meals or Meals to Go. This program allows families to pick up meals for their children for multiple days at a time which improves participation and good nutrition for children living in areas where it is more difficult to get to a traditional congregate meal site.
This program tripled in size in Wisconsin this year. The programs the DPI nutrition team visited this summer during reviews have demonstrated both the need for these services, and that families are very appreciative. We expect the Meals to Go program will continue to grow as more sponsors are aware of both the need and how they others successfully made it work.
Thank you to the hard-working crew that makes sure kids are fed nutritious and fun meals every day, year-round!
Thank you to everyone who helped feed Wisconsin kids this summer. From food service workers to districts to delivery drivers to coordinators, you are our heroes!
Special thanks to Amy Kolano, the DPI's Nutrition Program Consultant and SFSP Coordinator, for her help with this article.