Providing summer meals is a year-round effort. Whether it is fall, winter, spring, or summer, there is always some activity state agencies, sponsors, and partners can do to plan out a realistic approach to expand summer meal participation. Establishing timelines will ensure that your summer meal programs run as smoothly as possible, and that no one is caught scrambling on the last day of school.
Spotlight on Denver, Colorado!
Three large Denver area sponsors, Denver Public Schools, Office of Children’s Affairs, and Food Bank of the Rockies, collaborate to determine where the gaps in meal services exist within the metropolitan area. This collaboration has led to an increased number of sites being operated by each of Denver’s largest sponsors. To build on this effort, the Colorado Department of Education, in partnership with Hunger Free Colorado, facilitates a partner meeting for all summer meal sponsors at the beginning of each year. These annual team meetings help foster sponsor relationships and focus efforts on expansion.
For more information, visit the Hunger Free Colorado Partnership Opportunities page.
What worked to make summer meals a success?
- Ability to leverage community resources.
- Direct contact with sponsors from previous summers.
- State agency support.
- State partner meetings, and
- Strong partners.
Want to learn more? Go to the summer toolkit.