August 2010 - Parks & Recreation - 29

Because of the important role the NSLP plays in
ensuring that America's children are adequately
fed, there is a large gap to fill when school is not
in session during the summer months. " Each summer, children wait for the last bell of the school year.
Summer is an exciting time for children to enjoy
playtime with friends, a week at camp, a family vacation, or time at the pool, " says Julie Paradis, USDA
Food and Nutrition Service Administrator. " But for
many children who receive free and reduced-price
meals at school, summer can mean hunger. Just as
learning does not end when school lets out, neither
does a child's need for good nutrition. "
To help meet this need, the federal government
created the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)
in 1968. This program feeds nutritious meals and
snacks to children of low-income families over the
summer. In 2009, over 132 million summer meals
were served to 2.2 million children at approximately 34,670 locations. While these figures pale in comparison the number of children who are fed during
the school year, the SFSP still plays an important
role in tackling hunger. Through the SFSP, school
districts and local agencies provide free meals to
needy children at a variety of locations, including
parks, schools, community centers, churches, housing complexes, and non-profit organizations.
Parks are one of the most common locations for
SFSP summer meal sites. Across the country, parks
and recreation departments have created programs where free meals (often prepared off-site at
local schools) are combined with a safe environment and fun, constructive activities for children.
The addition of activities at a site will also boost
attendance tremendously. These programs, like
those at Kansas's Wichita Park Department locations, often contain educational components that
explain what healthy eating is all about. Both the
nutritious meals and the structured physical activity
are valuable services in their communities.
" The program is structured at the sites supervised
by the Park Department, " says Wichita Recreation

Manager David McGuire. " We provide staff during
the lunch time to help supervise the participants. The
program is open to any child wanting to attend-no
qualifications necessary. Parents are welcome to attend and eat lunch with children for a nominal fee. "
Sites that provide SFSP meals must meet nutrition
requirements set by the USDA which mandate that
meals be well-balanced. For instance, one of the USDA's recommended menus requires one meat serving, 3/4 cup of fruit and/or vegetable, a cup of milk
and a serving of a grain or bread. The USDA reimburses these organizations through state agencies
that administer the programs. In most locations, the
maximum reimbursement is $3.25 per lunch.
SFSP meal sites are classified as open, enrolled,
or camp sites. Open sites are those that exist in
low-income neighborhoods where the majority of
school children come from households functioning
at or below the poverty level. Because they operate in low-income neighborhoods, these open sites
are permitted to serve free meals to any child who
shows up. Enrolled sites are sites within existing activity programs that children have to register for.
Enrolled sites can provide free meals to all enrolled
children if at least half of the enrolled children are
eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.
Camps that participate in SFSP are reimbursed only
for meals served to children who are eligible for
free or reduced-price meals.
The City of Greenville, South Carolina, which has
been providing free meals at summer camps since
1975, currently runs five summer camp sites in lowincome neighborhoods. Each site has approximately
50 campers, ranging in age from 5 to 15. These sites
are classified as enrolled sites, so all the participating
children receive breakfast and lunch through the USDA's program. The recurring menu for each week of
camp includes pizza, ham and cheese sandwich, cold
cut sub, turkey sandwich and turkey cheese pepperoni sub served with fruit, fruit juice and milk daily.
Additionally, 10 to 15 non-camp participants receive meals at each site. Meals are funded by the

www.NRPA .ORG

SEPTEMBER 2010

" By working
together,
we believe
we can
reach a day
where no
individual in
this country
has to go to
bed hungry
or worry if
there will be
food to put
on the table
tomorrow. "

Parks & Recreation 27

August 2010 - Parks & Recreation

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