Right now, more than 173,000 people under the age of 18 in our communities don’t know where their next meal might come from.
That’s one in five kids and teens facing hunger across central and eastern North Carolina. And these challenges are even worse during the summer months when school meals are no longer available.
Thats’ where the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) comes in.
Since 2008, the Food Bank has partnered with local organizations through SFSP to serve breakfast and lunch to children and teens throughout the region. Summer meal sites are hosted at easily-accessible locations including community centers, churches, and summer camps during months when schools are closed — providing nutritious food options along with outdoor recreation and summer reading initiatives.
Need additional details on the process? Check out our Application Guide.
Summer Food Service Program Impact & Opportunities
Last year, Food Bank partners served more than 51,000 meals to children and teens across 17 counties — and we’re looking to expand to reach even more families and communities in 2025. Will you join us?
Learn more about SFSP opportunities at our upcoming virtual interest meetings, where we’ll discuss the requirements, application process, and Food Bank resources available to host a summer meals site.
Key Information for Partners
Each session will offer insight and guidance from our Child Nutrition Team on:
- The importance of free meals and resources when schools are closed
- Qualifications and eligibility to become a SFSP host site this summer (2025)
- A walkthrough of the application process and timelines
- Host site requirements (training, record keeping, technology, etc.) and related Food Bank support
- Meal and vendor options
- Differences between open and closed sites
- Communication and awareness building
2025 Information Sessions
All sessions held virtually via Microsoft Teams. Click to join at the dates and times below:
Need additional details on the process? Check out our Application Guide.
We’re excited to kick off this year’s SFSP application process with a wide variety of potential partners, so please share this invite with other community organizations that might be interested in offering meal service this summer. These are informational meetings with no commitment on either side — just an opportunity to learn more and explore options. Decisions on formal partnerships will be made in the Spring.
