Island Harvest Food Bank’s Summer Food Service Program will again provide vital supplemental nutrition to Long Island students who depend on school meal programs during the academic year but may lack reliable access to meals when school is closed for the summer.
Administered by the Food and Nutrition Service, an agency of the USDA, Island Harvest will provide a diverse combination of breakfasts, lunches, and snacks, Monday through Friday, at programs operated by municipal agencies, summer and day camps, community centers, libraries, churches, and community-based organizations across Nassau and Suffolk counties.
The Summer Food Service Program runs from June 29 to August 28 and is expected to serve over 78,000 meals to approximately 2,100 children and teenagers at 35 sites across Long Island. Last summer, Island Harvest served 48,174 meals to 1,463 children at 27 sites on Long Island.
“We remain highly concerned about the increasing number of families across Long Island who are struggling to put food on their tables,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, president & CEO of Island Harvest, who cited a rise in food insecurity due to inflation, the region’s high cost of living, and recent changes to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program.
A recent study conducted by Feeding America®, a national hunger relief organization, estimates that more than 250,000 people — including over 45,000 children — have limited or unclear access to food on a regular basis on Long Island.
“While public schools offer free meals to all students during the school year, which helps play an important role in addressing food insecurity, initiatives like the Summer Food Service Program are a critical part of closing the gap during the summer to help children not simply survive but also thrive,” Shubin Dresner said.
The Summer Food Service Program is committed to providing meals and snacks, at no charge, to children 18 years old and younger without any form of discrimination. The program’s acceptance and participation requirements are the same for all, regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability.
There is no discrimination in the course of the meal service. Any person who believes they have been discriminated against in any USDA-related activity should immediately write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call 800-795-3272 (voice) or 202-720-6382 (TTY).
The Summer Food Service Program is a federally funded, state-administered program that reimburses program operators for providing free healthy meals to children 18 years old and younger in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
For more information on the Summer Food Service Program, please call Karina Hayes, Veterans’ & Children’s Programs Supervisor, Island Harvest, at 631-873-4775 or email karinah@islandharvest.org. To find local food sources in your area, text your ZIP code to 631-450-3775 or visit islandharvest.org and click on the “Find Help” tab.