Children eating watermelon in the summer

Summer meals for school success!

To help school districts meet a new state mandate, Hunger Free New Jersey, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey and Reinvestment Fund will host three summer meals strategy sessions this fall.The new law requires all schools with at least 50 percent of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch to serve meals through the Summer Food Service Program, starting in 2020. These sessions will highlight key strategies to implement successful summer meals and help connect school officials and community organizations to team up to serve summer meals.

Event Details
Summer Meals Summit — North Jersey
October 29, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Breakfast and lunch provided)
Community Food Bank of New Jersey
31 Evans Terminal, Hillside, NJ
Register Now.

Summer Meals Summit — South Jersey
Oct. 30, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Breakfast and lunch provided)
Community Food Bank of New Jersey
6735 E Black Horse Pike, Egg Harbor Township, NJ
Register Now.

Summer Meals Summit — Central Jersey
Dec. 13, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Lunch provided)
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
50 College Road E.
Princeton, NJ
Register now.

More Info
When school is out hunger sets in for far too many children.

The Summer Food Service Program provides federal dollars to feed children during the school is out and hunger sets in for many students who rely on school meals during the academic year.

These free sessions will help schools tap into federal funds to feed children during the summer.
 
We will bring together school officials, community partners and advocates to explore successful strategies. The New Jersey Department of Agriculture will hold SFSP trainings in January for new sponsors. This session will help you decide whether to become a sponsor or site, among other important considerations.

The most effective programs are a community effort. Learn the ins and outs of SFSP and how to team up with others to deliver tasty, healthy meals to more students.

For more information, contact Lisa Pitz, outreach director, at lpitz@cfanj.org or (201) 569-1804, x21.

More to explorer

family eating

Food Insecurity Increased in 2022, With Severe Impact on Households With Children and Ongoing Racial Inequities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its annual report on food security, showing that 44.2 million people (in 17.0 million households) in the U.S. could not afford enough food to eat at some point in 2022. Overall, food insecurity increased from 10.2 percent in 2021 to 12.8 percent in 2022 — resulting in 10.3 million more people, including 4.1 million more children, who lived in households that experienced food insecurity in 2022 compared to 2021 — reflecting higher food costs and the phasing out of many pandemic relief measures.

Read More »
November 3, 2023

As Many as 124,200 Young Children and New Parents in New Jersey Could Be Turned Away From WIC or Have Their Benefits Cut Under Pending Appropriations Bills

Funding in fiscal year 2024 Senate and House appropriations bills for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) falls far short of what is needed to provide all eligible families who apply with the full nutrition assistance benefit. Across the states, these proposed funding levels would result in WIC turning away 600,000 eligible new parents and young children, and the House bill would sharply cut benefits for another 4.7 million.

Read More »
November 3, 2023