Shapiro Administration Highlights How Rural School Districts Provide Free Summer Meals at Mobile Summer Meal Site

Lansford, PA - Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin today joined students and staff in the rural school district of Panther Valley to help distribute free summer meals to kids via the district's mobile feeding site.

"Hunger doesn't take a summer vacation. Students need nutritious, filling meals to keep them energized and learning throughout the summer months as well as during the school year," said Secretary Mumin. "Kids are often more active in the summer, and it is just as important to make sure their bellies and minds are fed during school vacations as it is during the school year. Providing kids with these healthy, free meals - regardless of their zip code - ensures they return to school in the fall ready to continue learning."

The Shapiro Administration is committed to ensuring that all children and students have access to healthy meals all year long. That's why Governor Josh Shapiro delivered free breakfast for Pennsylvania's 1.7 million students last year. The 2024-25 budget builds on that progress with a $16.7 million increase to continue the universal free breakfast program, making sure students have access to healthy meals to start their day on the right foot, and making sure no kid goes hungry during the summer by funding the summer food service program.

Statewide, there are over 2,000 summer meal service sites this summer, in a variety of zip codes and locations. Because it is in a qualifying rural area, Panther Valley School District is approved to provide and distribute meals for kids to take home. These qualifying rural sites provide multiple days' worth of meals twice a week. As an effort to enhance the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) summer nutrition programs, approved program operators in low-income, rural areas can use alternate service models tailored to the needs of the children and communities they serve. These non-congregate meal service sites can help reach children who would otherwise not have a way to access the free, nutritious meals provided through the USDA's summer nutrition programs.

The USDA Food Service Program is a federally funded program that provides free meals to children so they can receive the same high-quality nutrition during school vacations as they receive during the school year. Continued nutrition helps them return to school after summer ready to learn. Children 18 and under are eligible to receive meals at one of Pennsylvania's many sites this summer, and all meals and snacks served through the program must meet federal nutrition standards, and require servings of grains, proteins, fruits and vegetables, and milk.

In June, the Panther Valley School District served nearly 16,000 free breakfasts, and 16,000 free lunches to students. With 75% of their students eligible for free and reduced meals, providing summer meals to children in the community provides a valuable resource to bridge the nutrition gap over the summer months.

"The Panther Valley summer meal program ensures that no child goes hungry when school is out," said Panther Valley Superintendent David McAndrew Jr. "This meal program is crucial in providing essential nutrition for the students in our community. We know hunger doesn't take a summer vacation and we want our students to enjoy the summer and play without having to worry about food insecurity."

The Panther Valley School District serves the four rural communities of Summit Hill, Lansford, Coaldale, and Nesquehoning in Carbon and Schuylkill counties. The district is made up of three school buildings, Panther Valley Elementary, Panther Valley Intermediate School, and Panther Valley Junior/Senior High School. The mobile summer feeding site meets students and families where they are, traveling to four locations throughout the district to provide meals.

Meal sites can be found on the USDA's Summer Meals for Kid Site FinderOpens In A New Window; by calling 211, 1-866-3-HUNGRY, or 1-877-8HAMBRE; by texting "Summer" or "VERANO" to 914-342-7744; or by downloading the Range app Opens In A New Window to your mobile device. Parties interested in establishing a summer meal service site can find information PDE's Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) page.

For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Education, please visit the Department of Education website or follow PDE on InstagramOpens In A New Window, FacebookOpens In A New Window, TwitterOpens In A New Window, YouTubeOpens In A New Window, or PinterestOpens In A New Window.

MEDIA CONTACT: Erin James, [email protected]

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