Community sponsors sought for 2025 Summer Food Service Program

The Idaho Department of Education is seeking Boundary County sponsors to help provide healthy, balanced meals to area youth through the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program. The SFSP provides free meals and snacks to children 1-18 years of age by operating sites located in low-income areas during the summer months.

When schools are closed during summer months, the challenge of reaching children in need of support grows. SFSP sponsors help bridge the summer nutrition gap by providing nutritious meals. They are reimbursed for each qualifying breakfast, lunch, snack and/or supper served at approved sites.

For the 2025 program, sponsors may be, but are not limited to:

• Public or private nonprofit schools;

• public or private nonprofit residential camps;

• local, municipal, county, tribal or state governments;

• public or private nonprofit colleges or universities that participate in the National Youth Sports Program; and

• Upward Bound programs, religious organizations, libraries and nonprofit organizations.

While sponsors are sought statewide, they are especially needed in rural areas such as Boundary County where coverage gaps exist. Sponsors in rural areas have the option to participate in non-congregate meal services, allowing for meals to be picked up and consumed offsite.

Through the program, Idaho families in search of nutritious options this summer can have access free meals and snacks for children ages 1 to 18 in locations throughout the state with the Summer Food Service Program.

“This program does so much more than provide healthy meals,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra said. “Making our schools a central hub — even during the summer months — keeps Idaho’s students and families engaged in our educational communities. And, as we all know, although our kids take a break for the summer, hunger certainly does not.”

SFSP helps the State Department of Education bridge the summer nutrition gap and ensure that Idaho’s students are happy, healthy and ready to return to school in the fall to learn.

The program serves meals in areas of greatest need, with food provided by sponsors who are reimbursed for each qualifying breakfast, lunch, snack and/or supper they serve. In the summer of 2021, 58 sponsors served more than 4.1 million meals and snacks at more than 250 sites across Idaho.