Minnesota students who rely on school to receive nutritious meals during the school year can continue to be served free meals through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Summer Food Service Program, starting July 1. New this summer, the school or community sites may provide meals for pick-up through Aug. 31.
Each site will have different pick-up and serving options. However, all sites will meet health guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Minnesota Department of Health.
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) helps close the nutrition gap and supports academic achievement by providing access to healthy meals so students can return in the fall ready to learn.
Resources for Families
Students and families can find summer meal sites by using these resources:
- Download the free Free Meals for Kids app in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store or visit the Hunger Impact Partners website. This mobile app shows Minnesota kids where they can find free meals this summer. Information about the app is also available in Hmong, Oromo, Russian, Somali and Spanish.
- Call the Minnesota Food HelpLine at 1-888-711-1151 Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Call the 2-1-1 Hotline, or, from your mobile phone in the Twin Cities metro area, call 651-291-0211. In greater Minnesota, call 1-800-543-7709, or TTY at 651-291-8440.
- After July 6, 2020, families can text “food” to 877-877 to find the location providing meals near them in English or text “comida” to 877-877 to receive the information in Spanish.
- After July 6, 2020 families can use the Summer Meal Site Locator tool released by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. The Summer Meal Site Locator is also available in Spanish.
- View the SFSP Participation Report to find a list of all Summer Food sites.
To learn more, visit the Summer Food Service Program website or contact MDE Food and Nutrition Services (mde.fns@state.mn.us), or call at 651-582-8526 or 1-800-366-8922 (toll-free).
