As the school year comes to an end, Maine children can access nutritious meals through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program, administered by the Maine Department of Education (DOE). These meals are available at hundreds of sites across Maine and will be listed on the Maine DOE’s Hot Lunch Summer website.
“No child should worry about going hungry when the school year ends,” said Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “Hot Lunch Summer ensures that Maine children continue to receive the healthy, nutritious meals they rely on during the school year and we thank the schools and organizations that have stepped up to make the distribution of these meals possible.”
The Summer Food Service Program may be offered statewide in areas or at sites where more than 50 percent of the children are eligible for free or reduced meal benefits under the National School Lunch Program or where census track data supports the need. Eligible sponsoring organizations include schools, nonprofit residential summer camps, government agencies, and tax-exempt organizations including faith-based organizations.
The Maine DOE launched a statewide ad campaign to raise awareness that the Summer Food Service Program exists and clearly explain the logistics of where, when, and how Maine children and adolescents can access complementary meals. The multi-media campaign includes a fun, original song entitled ‘Hot Lunch Summer’ for broadcast radio, an accompanying sing-along video in several lengths including a 30-second broadcast and streaming television ad, a series of colorful shareable graphics for social media, and a series of printed materials for distribution at schools and meal sites. The campaign, which will run through July, is expected to generate more than 5.25 million impressions.
To find nearby Summer Meal sites, please visit www.hotlunchsummer.com, or text “Summer Meals” to (914)342-7744. Information will be available mid-June.
For more information about the Maine DOE’s Summer Food Service Program, contact adriane.ackroyd@maine.gov, call 592-1722 or visit https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/programs/sfsp
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In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
(1) mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
(2) fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email:
program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
The Maine Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, religion, ancestry or national origin.
Complaints of discrimination must be filed at the office of the Maine Human Rights Commission, 51 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0051. If you wish to file a discrimination complaint electronically, visit the Human Rights Commission website at https://www.maine.gov/mhrc/file/instructions and complete an intake questionnaire. Maine is an equal opportunity provider and employer.