by Alissa Snider, Child Nutrition Hunger Outreach Program Specialist
As another summer wraps up, we at Hunger Free Oklahoma cannot celebrate the great work of the Summer Meal sponsors and site staff enough. The Summer Meals program is a federal program that allows children to have access to nutritious food during summer break.
For the third year, Oklahoma has had the option to serve non-congregate (or grab and go) Summer Meals in rural areas of the state. A non-congregate site can offer to-go, mobile, or delivery meals throughout the summer. Meal sites include schools, libraries, community centers, apartment complexes, food pantries, parks, and many more. Additionally, this is the first year for Oklahoma to participate in home delivery meals, and we hope to see further expansion next year.
If the area is designated as rural by the USDA, the site is eligible to offer non-congregate meals.
Other eligibility includes:
- Not serving in an area where children would receive the same meal at an approved congregate site, unless it is demonstrated that meal duplication will be avoided, and
- Be in a location that is area-eligible OR be approved for reimbursement only for meals served free to enrolled children who meet program standards.
Stay tuned in late fall for specific counts on sponsors, meal sites, and number of meals served. From the feedback received from the sponsors, we know it was another great year of challenging childhood hunger.
2025 Summer Meal Landscape
The Hunger Free Oklahoma Community Engagement, Child Nutrition, and SNAP teams visited meal sites across the state to gather information about how the program was running from the perspective of sponsors and site staff. We asked about the successes and challenges, ideas for future summer meals programs, how participation compared to previous years, and what the families have said about the meals and overall experience.
Successes:
Survey respondents shared that overwhelmingly, participation in the Summer Meals program has increased from the previous year. Some sponsors noted that they believe the need for food throughout the summer has increased, and that meeting the demand requires more meals to be ordered to fill that need. Respondents stated that families were incredibly appreciative of the meals and that the children liked the food provided. Some school sponsors shared that the children enjoyed seeing their teachers and friends at the meal sites, as well as eating their favorite in-school meals in the summer.
Challenges:
With the increased need for meals, there were some challenges reported from the meal sites. Due to the demand, some sites ran out of food shortly after opening. Others report that participation was somewhat irregular, making it difficult to know how much food was needed for each distribution. Transportation to meal sites also posed a challenge for families with limited or no access to a vehicle. Lastly, funding for the program can be a challenge. Although the meals are reimbursable, the reimbursement may not be enough to cover staffing, equipment, or other needs to successfully run the site.
Key takeaways for future Summer Meal programs:
- Serve Where the Kids Are:
- Host meal sites in locations children frequently visit, such as schools, parks, YMCAs, Boys & Girls Clubs, and libraries. This makes it easier for families to access meals while engaging in fun activities.
- Get the Word Out:
- Social media, flyers, radio ads, bulletin boards, and news stories are all great ways to let families know you are serving meals.
- Many schools that participate use texting and digital flyers on their school platforms to let families know when and where they have meal sites.
- Use Engaging Programming:
- Make serving meals part of an activity or event. Many families feel more comfortable participating if the meals are not the focal point. Making it fun and engaging can lessen the stigma they may feel by coming to a meal site.
- Collect feedback from students and families to refine and improve the program each year and see what works.
- Timing and Planning:
- Begin the application process early with the Oklahoma State Department of Education to allow ample planning time.
- Reuse previous application details when possible and consider seasonal food availability.
- Administration:
- Train staff thoroughly and understand the program requirements.
- Stay on top of paperwork and recordkeeping.
- Use centralized and online tools to streamline documentation and reporting.
- Bring in volunteers. You do not have to do the work alone! Volunteers can participate in many aspects of the program and help decrease the burden on smaller organizations.
- Community Partnerships:
- Collaborate with local organizations to strengthen your program, such as having a “Touch a Truck” day with the fire department. Be creative! It does not have to cost extra to include activities, so see what is local to you.
- Utilize and amplify existing community resources. The Summer Meals program is a great opportunity to create or strengthen partnerships with other organizations.
We are so thankful to our sites, sponsors, and volunteers who work tirelessly to feed children. For more information about participating in summer meals, please contact us to learn more.