COLUMBIA, S.C. — The need for children's access to healthy meals does not end at the end of the school year. Many South Carolina children are dependent upon the Department of Education's Summer Break Cafe to supply them with healthy meals during the summer months, when school is not in session.
While the SC Department of Education (SCDE) Summer Break Cafe is funded by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), SCDE relies on local partners to assist in providing the food.
SCDE will host several virtual informational meetings for local governmental agencies, school districts, faith-based and public/private nonprofit organizations interested in participating in the program this summer. The first meeting will be 10 a.m. to noon, Thursday, January 18, via Microsoft Teams. Registration for the virtual meeting is available online.
Community partners serving as sponsors will be reimbursed for meals provided to children 18 years and younger at approved meal sites. USDA requires sponsors to be financially and administratively capable of conducting a non-profit food service. Sponsors will receive training and technical support during the application process and throughout the operation of their program. Meals are served at local schools, churches, recreation centers, hospitals, cafeterias, farmer’s markets, community and migrant centers, and other areas in the community.
“When students are on break from school during the summer, their nutrition will continue to be a priority,” Virgie Chambers, SCDE’s Deputy Superintendent of District Operations, Safety, and Student Wellness said. “Our 2024 goal is to increase the number of meal sites to allow more children access to nutritious meals this summer. To do that, we are currently searching for more community partners, especially in rural and low-income areas.”
According to SCDE, since 2019, the number of Summer Break Cafe sponsors and sites has decreased, impacting the number of children who have access to healthy meals. Still, partners served approximately 1.4 million meals to South Carolina students last summer.
For more information on the program, please visit SCDE's website www.summerbreakcafe.com.
