Free food across America
Although the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is having its difficulties in Minnesota, the rest of the country is seeking more nonprofits to tap a higher federal reimbursement rate for free meals.
The program in Minnesota appears to be grossly oversubscribed, but many other states are seeking additional sponsors and sites to hand out free food to children in this upcoming summer. (Update: it turns out that these press releases are required to be issued under Federal regulations for the program.)
In the past few weeks, state departments of education and other agencies, which oversee the program on behalf of the USDA, have issued nearly identically worded calls for help. Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, among others surely, are seeking to fill out their Summer 2022 roster.
Participating nonprofits can count on higher reimbursement rates, as well. The USDA is raising the allowed per-meal rate for the summer program and pumping $750 million into the school lunch program to combat inflation and supply-chain shortages.
Your money at work. Applications deadlines vary by state, so act now.