Summer is a time when many children lose the free and reduced-price meals they get at school, and they might not have access to a regular meal. USDA’s SUN programs give kids the nutrition they need in summer when school meals aren’t available so they can reach their full potential!
About 30 million children participate in USDA’s school breakfast and lunch programs on an average school day. When school is out for the summer, kids lose access to these healthy meals, but they still need nutritious food to grow healthy and strong.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania offers summer nutrition options to help our children reach their full potential.
With SUN Meals, kids 18 and under can get free meals and snacks at schools, parks, and other group meal locations. In some rural areas, SUN Meals To-Go can be picked up or delivered. And SUN Bucks helps families stretch grocery budgets with a $120 grocery benefit for each eligible school-aged child, so you can buy more of the foods your children love!
Dig in and find out what’s available to your kids by:
- Call: 1.866.3HUNGRY or 1.877.8HAMBRE
- Text: “FOOD” or “COMIDA” to 914-342-7744
- Visit: https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer
- Download: Flyers, brochures, posters and more
Summer meals and snacks for kids
Through SUN Meals, kids of all ages can eat meals and snacks during the summer at no cost at schools, parks, and other neighborhood locations. SUN Meals may have a different name where you live, but the benefit is the same: nutritious meals for kids and teens in the summer when school is out.
Every child aged 18 and under can enjoy SUN Meals, some rural communities now offer SUN Meals To-Go, and eligible school-aged children can also receive SUN Bucks. For more information, visit: https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sunmeals
Summer meals in rural places
If you live in a rural community where SUN Meals are hard to access, you may be able to get meals via pick-up or delivery through SUN Meals To-Go.
SUN Meals To-Go may have a different name where you live, but the benefit is the same: nutritious meals for kids and teens. For more information, visit: https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sunmeals2go
Summer grocery benefit for kids
SUN Bucks provides $120 in grocery benefits per eligible school-age child when school is out for summer. SUN Bucks can be used to purchase food from authorized retailers in participating states, Tribes, and territories. It may also be known as Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (or Summer EBT) in certain locations.
Children can receive SUN Bucks on top of other benefits like SNAP and WIC, and in addition to free SUN Meals from local meal sites or SUN Meals To-Go in eligible rural communities. For more information, visit: https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sunbucks
