Gov. Kim Reynolds announced today (Wednesday) $900,000 in a new grant program to make summer meal sites more available for children and teens during the summer months. Currently, the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO), both administered by the Iowa Department of Education and U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA), serve children under the age of 18 by providing healthy meals and snacks during the months when school is not in session. The Summer Meal Program Expansion Grant will aid these existing federal programs by providing reimbursement funding to current or newly opened meal sites at places such as schools, churches, community centers, etc., where at least 50 percent of the children are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches during the school year. Gov. Reynolds says, “Providing young Iowans with access to free, nutritious meals in their communities during the summer months has always been a priority. With the Summer Meal Program Expansion Grant, we will expand these well-established programs across our state to ensure Iowa’s youth have meals that are healthy and use local community farms and vendors when possible.” Applications for the Summer Meal Program Expansion Grant are now being accepted at IowaGrants.gov, with the deadline of May 7.
