Summer Feeding Initiatives

Summer Initiatives at the Connecticut Food Bank

An extension of the National School Lunch Program, Summer Meals is a federally funded program through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), administered by the Connecticut State Department of Education. The program offers free meals for children under age 18 (no registration required) during the summer months while school is not in session.

Last year, the Connecticut Food Bank partnered with the New Haven Public Schools and various other partners on New Haven Summer Meals to bring the Mobile Pantry to six Summer Meals sites providing fresh vegetables, fruits, bread and other nutritional food to families of children receiving summer meals. We reached about 2,000 households, representing more than 4,470 adults and children over eight weeks ending in late August. We will bring this program back to New Haven this summer and we are expanding it to other communities including West Haven, Derby and Bridgeport.

New Haven Summer Meals is working to reach more youth, provide more meals and to develop educational and engaging activities at sites throughout the city. The Connecticut Food Bank will return this summer with Mobile Pantry as a partner at five or more sites in New Haven.

Expanding Beyond New Haven

The Connecticut Food Bank will expand the model of last summer’s partnership in New Haven to other communities we serve. Plans include West Haven, Bridgeport and Derby.

We appreciate the help of our community partners, including the United Way of Greater New Haven, Cornell Scott Hill Health Center, New Haven Public Schools and staff at Derby and Bridgeport schools, the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, and the Stratford Department of Housing, Department of Health and the Public Schools.

Check our website and next month’s E Newsletter for further details.

Click here for information from End Hunger CT! on summer meals programs across Connecticut.

Value Beyond the Summer

The high turnout at these evening Mobile Pantry sites sparked the Connecticut Food Bank to develop ongoing evening Mobile Pantry sites in communities throughout Connecticut. Read about last summer’s efforts here and about our evening Mobile Pantry operations here.