Sparks, Nev. -
January 27, 2021The Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) is seeking sponsors to provide free meals to children through the federally funded Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Sponsors may prepare or serve meals obtained from another SFSP sponsor, public or commercial food vendor, a local government agency, or a school food service department. All meals must meet USDA's minimum meal pattern requirements for SFSP. Past year's sponsors have included Three Square Food Bank, Food Bank of Northern Nevada, churches, city parks, schools, and Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the state.
SFSP sponsors served nearly 7.2 million meals last year, an increase due to school closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. SFSP ensures that students who depend on school meals have nutritious food when school is not in session. Meals are available to children 18-years-old or younger during school closures, no questions asked.
Organizations interested in becoming a sponsor should contact Lindsay Talbot at 702-668-4581 or ltalbot@agri.nv.gov.
About the Nevada Department of Agriculture
The Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) mission is to preserve, protect and promote Nevada’s agriculture. The department has 150 dedicated employees providing services in its five divisions, Administration, Animal Industry, Consumer Equitability, Food and Nutrition, and Plant Industry. The department’s $232 million budget facilitates regulatory and administrative work in agriculture and food manufacturing industries, protecting public and environmental health and worker safety, and providing food distribution and oversight for the United States Department of Agriculture’s school and community nutrition programs.
The SFSP helps provide nutritious meals to children in geographic areas where at least 50 percent of students are eligible to receive free or reduced-price school meals. The program reimburses agencies that serve meals to children 18 years or younger during school vacations. The program benefits all children in accordance with federal law and USDA policy, and is prohibited from discrimination the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. For more information about the national Summer Food Service Program, visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp.