(PEMBERTON) – New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn, U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, and local representatives today highlighted the success of the Summer Food Service Program in New Jersey with a visit to the Pemberton Early Childhood Learning Center in Burlington County.

According to the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) report released last year, New Jersey is ranked No. 1 in the nation for providing summer lunch to children from households who participated in school year lunch.

In 2023, nearly five million summer meals were served to New Jersey children who qualified for the Summer Food Service Program. This year there are 1,272 feeding sites and 178 sponsors for the Summer Food Service Program in the state. Districts with 50 percent or more of their students that qualify for the free or reduced prices in the National School Lunch Program can participate in the Summer Food Service Program.

Pemberton also participates in the new Summer EBT program, which has more than 600,000 eligible students enrolled in New Jersey. Summer EBT provides eligible families $120 per child to purchase food during the summer months. New Jersey was the first Mid-Atlantic state approved for Summer EBT by the USDA for 2024.

The Pemberton Summer Food Service Program takes place at five sites and has served more than 6,000 combined breakfasts and lunches so far this summer. There are approximately 700 children who participate in the program in the Pemberton School District. The District also provides a rural non-congregate feeding program.

“Summer Food Service provides an opportunity for children and those who are eligible to receive healthy meals throughout the summer,” Secretary Wengryn said. “The commitment of Pemberton Township and the Pemberton School District to administer these meals is a great example of the success that can take place when there is a collaborative effort. The addition of Summer EBT this year provides another avenue for children to access the meals they need during these summer months.”

“Even though the school year has ended, the nutritional needs for children still need to be met,” Pemberton Township School District Food Service Supervisor Barbara Wells said. “Hunger does not take the summer off, and we are working to ensure that all who are eligible have access to healthy summer meal options. The commitment and investment from all our partners allows this to be a successful program.”

Started in 1976 as an outgrowth of the National School Lunch Program, Summer Food Service is designed to ensure those who are age 18 or younger in low-income areas have access to meals while school is out. It also is open to people over 18 who participate in public or nonprofit private programs that support individuals with disabilities.

The federally funded program reimburses participating organizations for meals served to children who live in areas in which at least 50 percent of the children qualify for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program. Most participating organizations may be reimbursed for up to two meals a day – lunch and either breakfast or a snack.

To learn more about the Summer Food Service Program or how to become a sponsor, visit http://bit.ly/V233JR. To find a feeding site near you, call the National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) or text Food to 877-877.

To learn more about Summer EBT in New Jersey go to https://www.nj.gov/summerebt/.

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