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 — offering outdoor recreation and summer reading initiatives along the way. And each year, we partner with local restaurants and caterers to provide nutritious food options to kids during months when schools are closed.

Summer Food Service Program Impact & Opportunities

Last year, Food Bank partners in the food industry helped provide 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 purchase summer meals from your business.

Key Information for Partners

Each session will offer insight and guidance from our Child Nutrition Team on:

• The importance of meals and resources for local kids when schools are closed
• Qualifications and check-list to become a paid SFSP vendor
• A walkthrough of the application process and timelines
• Vendor requirements (training, record keeping, meal guidelines, scheduling technology, etc.) and related Food Bank reimbursement rates
• Menu and delivery/pick-up options
• Communication and awareness building

2025 Information Sessions

We’re excited to kick off this year’s Kids Summer Meals effort with a wide variety of potential partners, so please share this invite with other businesses that might be interested in contracting with the Food Bank. These are informational meetings with no commitment on either side — just an opportunity to learn more and explore contract options. Decisions on formal partnerships will be made in the Spring.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Child Nutrition Team!