Nutrition

Summer Food Service Program

The Summer Food Service Program, also known as Summer Sack Lunch, is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and was established in 1968 to respond to growing research that correlated a child’s nutrition with academic success and concerns about the lack of nutrition resources for children during the summer months. The City of Seattle has operated this program in Seattle since the early 1970s.

Each year, the program feeds children who need regular meals. In the summer of 2007, there were 105 operating sites, 77 of them “open,” meaning accessible to any children up to age 18, and 28 of them “enrolled,” meaning available to children enrolled in specific summer programs being held at those sites. From late June to late August, a total of 215,724 breakfasts, lunches and snacks were served to an average of 5,038 children per day.

Meals are served following USDA guidelines that specify the conditions of site supervision, food storage, portion size and nutritional value. Food is served at supervised playgrounds, summer camps for low-income children, youth employment projects, low-income housing sites, child care programs and summer schools. Most participating sites offer full-day services and meaningful activities to children during summer months.

This summer, the program will run from June 23 to August 22, 2008. Bring children to the community sites to enjoy nutritious meals and fun activities. A final site list will be available in late June. If you’re agency or program is interested in becoming a site location, please call our office at 206-386-1140.

Click here for a list of 2007 program sites.

View the 2007 food menus for breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

Information

For more information about Seattle Human Services Department-funded services for children and families, call Deborah Harris at 206-684-8852 or e-mail childrenandfamilies@seattle.gov.

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