| Nutrition Services Division Information Alert |
|
| To: Summer Food Service Program Sponsors and Seamless Summer Feeding Option Sponsors |
Number: USDA-SFSP-02-2010 |
| Attention: Food Service Directors |
Date: June 2010 |
| Subject: Program and Resources Outreach for the Summer Meal Programs | |
This Information Alert notifies Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Summer Seamless Feeding Option Sponsors of outreach resources available for use in expanding summer meal programs.
The Nutrition Services Division (NSD) has partnered with the California Center for Research on Women and Families (CCRWF) and leaders of community agencies from throughout California to form the Summer Meal Program Coalition, a network of leaders and organizations united to combat hunger and obesity by increasing access to subsidized summer meal programs. Nutrition education is integrated into the Coalition’s work.
The Coalition has posted online resources which are accessible at anytime and include case studies and tool boxes to provide sponsors and sites model materials relating to administration, outreach, programming, and nutrition education. Sponsors will learn:
- How to become a sponsor or site that provides free summer meals to kids through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Summer Meal Programs
- How to access free model materials and resources to simplify program management
- How to join the Summer Meal Mentoring Network
For additional information regarding the Summer Meal Program Coalition and their outreach and program resources, you can visit their Web site at http://ccrwf.org/about-ccrwf/ca-summer-meal-coalition/.
In addition, the School Nutrition Association (SNA) and the National Watermelon Promotion Board are offering sponsors a new Summer Feeding Toolkit. The SNA has compiled a resource page and is offering the Summer Feeding Toolkit to provide sponsors useful resources.
The Toolkit has the following useful sections:
- Getting Started or Expanding Your Existing Program
- Summer Feeding Checklist
- Promoting Your Program
- Working with the Media
- Sample Summer Feeding Menus
For additional information regarding the SNA Summer Feeding Toolkit, you can visit their Web site at http://www.schoolnutrition.org/summer.
The USDA also has added an activity page for children and other Summer Food Service Program outreach resources on their Web site at http://www.summerfood.usda.gov.
The California Department of Education’s (CDE) resource page posts updated information and guidance as it is made available by the USDA. Please check the CDE Web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/sf/sfspinfo.asp.
If you have questions regarding this Information Alert or need additional guidance, please contact Melissa Garza at 916-322-5885 or by e-mail at mgarza@cde.ca.gov.
