Partner Resources > Free Summer Food

Free Summer Meals

Available for all children in the places where they play, learn, and live.

What are Free Summer Meals?

Free Summer Meals is a federal program that reimburses local governments, school districts, and private nonprofits to provide healthy meals to youth in low-income communities. Meal sites can be located at schools, parks, community centers, housing complexes, libraries, places of worship, and other places where kids learn and play during the summer months. In rural communities, meals can be provided through grab and go distributions and home delivery.

Free Summer Meals programs are open to all families and don’t ask for any paperwork—kids can just drop in and grab a meal. There is absolutely zero paperwork, fee, sign-up, proof of identity, or legal status required. Some rural grab and go sites may ask participants to register, but there should still be no eligibility restrictions or application requirements. Many sites also offer fun activities that help kids stay active and engaged when school is out.

  • A meal site is a physical location where meals are served to youth at no charge. Meal sites might be located at a school, community center, playground, place of worship, library, or even apartment complex. Many meals sites also provide enrichment activities for youth.

    Meal sites must be located in an area where a majority of youth are low-income. A map of areas where meal sites can be located, and areas that are eligible for rural grab-and-go, can be found here. Many meal sites also need to have some food storage space available, like a refrigerator or cooler.

  • School districts, nonprofit organizations, and local governments can administer the Free Summer Meals program. Program sponsors must have the capacity to manage a federal program and the ability to run or contract for food service operations.

  • Download digital outreach materials or order free physical outreach materials to conduct outreach in your community. Learn more on our Free Summer Meals page.

Get Involved

The Free Summer Meals program relies on partnerships with school districts and community organizations. Here are three ways that you can get involved:

Interested in hosting a meal site or becoming a program sponsor? Contact our team at foodsecurity@uwkc.org.

Promote Free Summer Meals

Help families in your community connect to their nearest meals site:

Non-Congregate Options for Rural Communities

Sponsors operating Free Summer Meals sites in rural areas, as defined by the USDA for the purposes of this program, may be eligible to serve meals that do not need to be consumed onsite. Grab and go, curbside pick-up, and home delivery service models can help increase access by reducing transportation and other barriers faced by families in rural areas.

  • Only sponsors operating in areas eligible to serve Free Summer Meals that also meet the definition of rural, outlined for the purpose of this program by the USDA, may serve non-congregate meals, or meals that do not need to be consumed onsite.

    Explore your region by eligibility to serve meals, and rural non-congregate eligibility using No Kid Hungry’s mapping tool.

  • Sponsors can choose to implement any combination of the available flexibilities based on what best meets the needs of their site and community. These flexibilities include multi-day meal distribution, parent or guardian pick-up, bulk grocery-style meals, and home delivery or mobile routes.

    Each of these options offers unique benefits and considerations. Learn more about how non-congregate sites work and what to keep in mind when implementing them.

  • Yes! Sponsors in rural areas across Washington have successfully implemented non-congregate meal services. You can explore active sites offering non-congregate meals through our Free Summer Meals Site Finder during the summer months.

    Connecting with experienced sponsors — and even visiting a site during a meal distribution — is a great way to learn more about how non-congregate service models work in practice and what it might look like in your own community.

    If you're interested in learning more about non-congregate summer meal options in your area or would like help getting started, reach out to us at hello@hungerfreewa.org.

  • A variety of resources are available to support sponsors in launching a new non-congregate summer meals site or expanding the reach of an existing one. These include funding opportunities, 1:1 consultation, technical assistance, and connections to experienced sponsors who can share best practices and lessons learned.

    Whether you're just getting started or looking to grow, we're here to help. Reach out to us at hello@hungerfreewa.org to learn more.