Community organizations invited to host summer meal sites

Community organizations invited to host summer meal sites

January 31, 2024

Colorado's summer meals program seeks sponsors, sites, and state partners to continue ensuring that Colorado children and teenagers can access healthy meals during the summer break. Sites provide youth 0 -18 years old with no-cost, nutritious meals that fuel their minds and bodies for healthy and active living, academic success, and reaching their full potential in life.

Find out how your organization can become a summer meal site or sponsor.

Last summer in Colorado, 83 sponsors at 647 sites served more than 1.6 million summer meals through the Summer Meals Program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by the Colorado Department of Education's School Nutrition Unit. In addition to this program, Colorado will begin providing additional grocery benefits to eligible families through the new Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program this summer.

The Colorado Department of Education (CDE), Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger, and Hunger Free Colorado are working together to increase the number of children receiving summer meals by encouraging community-based organizations — including camps; local, municipal, county, or state governments; public or private college or universities participating in national youth sports programs; and private nonprofit organizations — to serve as program sites.

Recent data show that in 17% of Colorado households with children, families faced economic challenges in providing sufficient food for their children, and 44% struggled to pay household expenses, including groceries. 

“Colorado is providing consistent access to critical nutrition during the school year through school meals with expanded participation through the Healthy School Meals for All program, but our students face food instability during the summer months," said Marc Jacobson, CEO for Hunger Free Colorado. “The summer meals program fills a critical gap in providing nutritious meals during the months where children need it most."

“Every child should be able to access nutritious food when school is out of session, and the Colorado Department of Education, along with program sponsors and sites, strives to ensure that’s possible across the state,” said Justice Onwordi, impact director for the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger.

About Colorado’s summer meals program: 

  • Meals are free to all kids and teens 18 years and younger. In rural locations, some meals may be taken home to eat.

  • Parents do not need to apply to the program for their children to get free summer meals.

  • Organizations that can administer the summer meals program include schools, nonprofit organizations, government entities, camps, universities, and community and faith-based organizations.

  • Parents and youth can find summer meal sites by texting FOOD or COMIDA to 304-304 or visiting KidsFoodFinder.org.

  • Meals served follow USDA nutrition guidelines. 

About the new Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer EBT) program:

  • Eligible families with school-aged children could receive $40 per month, per child during the summer months, beginning in 2024.

  • Funds to purchase groceries are placed on EBT cards.

  • The Colorado Department of Human Services leads the program with support from CDE. 

This is a modified version of CDE’s press release distributed on January 30, 2024.