Agriculture
Secretary Art Brown has launched the annual search
for organizations interested in providing meals
for needy children under the federally-funded Summer
Food Service Program. The program reimburses participating
organizations for meals served to children from
areas in which at least 50 percent of the children
qualify for free or reduced price meals under the
National School Lunch Program. Applicants may include
public or private non-profit school food authorities;
units of local, municipal, county or state governments;
public or private non-profit organizations; residential
summer camps and National Youth Sports programs.
Organizations interested in such a sponsorship
should write to Cherrie M. Walker, assistant coordinator
of NJDA's Summer Food Service Program, at NJDA,
Division of Markets, Bureau of Child Nutrition
Programs, P.O. Box 334, Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0334
or call (609) 292-4498. The deadline for submission
of completed applications is June 15, 2001. The
Summer Food Service Program began in 1976 as an
outgrowth of the National School Lunch Program,
which provides meals to needy children during school
hours. The summer program targets children 18 years
old or younger in economically disadvantaged areas.
It is also open to people over 18 who are mentally-
or physically-handicapped and who participate in
public or non-profit private programs established
for the handicapped. Organizations approved to
provide summer service programs are also responsible
for running the feeding sites that provide the
meals to youngsters. Most participating organizations
may be reimbursed for up to two meals a day - lunch
and either breakfast or a snack. Those serving
primarily migrant children may be reimbursed for
up to three meals a day. Residential camps also
may serve up to three meals a day, but they will
be reimbursed only for meals served to children
eligible for free or reduced-price meals under
the National School Lunch Program.
|
