It’s officially summer and that means a lot of different things for people. Unfortunately for the millions of children that rely on schools to get their breakfast and lunch meals, it means the time that they are the hungriest. But, we can all do something about it. Each year, WhyHunger teams up with the USDA and organizations across the country to help fill the gap during the summer. During the school year, more than 21 million children rely on free and reduced priced meals provided by the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, but only 18% participate in the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). SFSP’s provides free, nutritious meals for kids at local organizations such as schools, recreation centers, playgrounds, parks, churches, summer camps and more all over the country – all summer long. However, these locations tend to change year to year – that’s where you and WhyHunger come in!

WhyHunger’s Summer Meals Rock for Kids campaign creates awareness about the summer meals program, and activates celebrity auctions and artist ambassadors that raise funds to support the national WhyHunger Hotline and our comprehensive database that is updated regularly and now includes over 38,000 summer meal locations to connect families in need to free, healthy food closest to them when they need it most.

To find your closest Summer Food Service Program summer meals site:

• Call the WhyHunger Hotline at 1-800-5HUNGRY (1-800-548-6479) for service in both Spanish and English. The hotline is open Monday through Friday, from 9:00am EDT to 6:00pm EDT]
• Text “summer” and your zip code to 1-800-548-6479 to get a location within minutes
• Visit whyhunger.org/summermealsearch to find a site online.

And here’s how you can help:

• Donate to support WhyHunger’s Hotline and online database. 
• Spread the word to your network and community by downloading and distributing flyers in English and Spanish at your local community centers, schools and libraries
• Add graphics to your blog, website or social media accounts

You can find these materials and more at: whyhunger.org/summermeals. Thank you for making a difference this summer!