The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) is seeking rural communities as it opens the application process for organizations to participate in this year's Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
The goal of the SFSP is to ensure that children 18 and younger who benefit from meal programs during the school year continue to have that same access to nutritious meals during the summer. The application process seeks out organizations, governmental entities, schools, religious entities, and non-profit residential camps who are interested in sponsoring the program and serving free meals to children in their communities.
This need is especially important in rural counties in Tennessee and those designated as distressed. Last year Cheatham, Giles, Moore, Stewart, and Wayne Counties did not have sponsors to serve children with the program. TDHS is hoping to change that this year by recruiting sponsors willing to serve those counties and additional sponsors for every county in the state.
"The partnerships we have with our Summer Food Service Program sponsors are helping us build strong families," said TDHS Commissioner Danielle W. Barnes. "The needs of our communities differ greatly from each other and that's why it's so essential to have sponsors working with us in all communities across the entire state. We build a thriving Tennessee by helping all children have access to nutritious meals during the summer months."
In addition to children of school age, adults 19 and older with a mental or physical disability are eligible to receive free meals if they participate in a school program established for individuals with disabilities during the prior school year.
Applications will be accepted until May 1, 2020. If your organization is interested in becoming an SFSP sponsor or becoming a feeding site under an existing sponsor, please contact the TDHS by e-mail at TNSFSP.DHS@tn.gov.
For more information on the Summer Food Service Program, please visit: http://tn.gov/humanservices/topic/learn-about-the-summer-food-service-program
