Summer hunger is a serious struggle for low income families who rely on free school meals, so let’s talk about how to get free summer meals. There are actually several ways to do this, which is great because it means that you have options.
Why Do We Need Free Summer Meals?
For the 21.5 million low-income children who rely on free or reduced-price meals at school each day, summer is a time of hunger and food scarcity. Without those badly needed breakfasts and lunches, these children do not have access to the quantity or quality of food that they need to be healthy.
Studies show that families experience a $300 increase in grocery costs over the summer when they can’t access free school meals. This is impossible for many families, which leaves all the household members hungry over the summer.
This is a very serious problem and it’s one that many health advocates are trying to solve.
Summer EBT
At the onset of the pandemic, the government instituted a P-EBT program to help provide extra EBT benefits to students who could not access free school meals. The P-EBT program operated slightly different in every state, which made it very difficult to understand and access.
With the 2023 Omnibus bill, the government established a permanent Summer EBT program that is loosely modeled on the previous summer P-EBT program. This new summer program will distribute extra EBT benefits for families whose children normally receive free or reduced-price school meals.
Starting in 2024, the Summer EBT program will provide $40 per month per child, which is $120 per summer per child. This is far more convenient for most families than other free summer meals programs, which may require families to travel to receive assistance.
Starting in 2024, families will receive $40 per child per summer month. The EBT cards will provide relief for many of the same households that were eligible for the Pandemic EBT program and is a critical step toward ending child hunger.
Chicago Food Bank
Summer Food Service Program
The USDA operates a Summer Food Service program but studies have shown that most families who are eligible for this program do not use it.
Until the pandemic began, this program required low income children to travel to a congregate meal site and eat their food at that location in order to receive free summer meals. This was really inconvenient for a lot of families who lacked transportation (or money for transportation) or couldn’t arrive during the designated meal times.
Fortunately, the 2023 Omnibus Bill also made drastic changes to the Summer Food Service Program.
(The Omnibus Bill) also grants summer meal providers the flexibility to use non-congregate program models, such as grab-and-go meals, in some rural areas, making meals more accessible for many children.
Feeding America
Now, families don’t have to travel to the meal site every day and sit down in order to get free meals through the Summer Food Service Program. Providers can choose to offer grab-and-go meals and other options that make these meals easier for families to use.
Through the new rules, providers can allow children in rural areas to take home up to 10 days of meals at a time. This cuts out a significant amount of travel for families and makes these meals much easier to access.
Anyone age 18 or younger can be served by the Summer Food Service Program. Some locations even offer adults the chance to purchase a meal for a small cost.
You can find a Summer Food Service Program site near you by using the USDA’s online map or by texting Summer Meals to 914-342-7744. You can also call the USDA at 1-866-348-6479 or call 211 to find a location in your area. Please note that this information isn’t available until May each year.
Food Banks
Families who don’t participate in summer food programs often end up spending $300 on extra groceries during each month that the children are not in school. Families who qualify for free or reduced school lunches simply don’t have that kind of flexibility in their budget.
Food banks can offset the expense of groceries. Food banks provide healthy, nutritious food for your family. Some even provide fresh fruits, vegetables and frozen meats! It all depends on what your local food bank offers.
You can find your local food bank using the Feeding America map or by calling 211.
Nicole Thelin
Nicole is the founder and lead researcher of Low Income Relief. After a personal experience with poverty and homelessness following her husband's sudden medical discharge from the U.S. Army, Nicole discovered the life-changing impact of community resources. This experience ignited her passion for empowering others to navigate similar crises. Nicole launched her writing career at age 16, working for various newspapers and publications. Her commitment to in-depth research and accessible content has been recognized by Google for Publishers and other industry leaders. For over 20 years, she has applied her investigative skills to uncover the most helpful, up-to-date information on benefits programs and community resources, ensuring Low Income Relief maintains the most extensive resource databases available.