Sparks Nev., -
January 18, 2022The Nevada Department of
Agriculture (NDA)
is seeking sponsors to provide free meals to children through the
federally funded Summer Food Service
Program (SFSP). 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. Sponsor
participation and meal sites are needed to ensure Nevada's youth in low-income
areas have continued access to healthy meals and snacks.
Sponsors may prepare meals 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 the United
States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) minimum meal pattern requirements
for SFSP. The program reimburses agencies that serve meals to children 18-years
or younger during school breaks and closures in geographic areas where at least
50 percent of students are eligible to receive free or reduced-price school
meals. The program benefits all children in accordance with federal law and
USDA policy and is prohibited from discrimination on the basis of race, color,
national origin, sex, age or disability.
Past sponsors have included Three Square Food Bank, Food
Bank of Northern Nevada, churches, city parks, schools, and Boys & Girls
Clubs throughout the state. 29.8 million meals were served through SFSP last
year, an increase due to school closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Organizations interested in becoming a sponsor should
contact Lindsay Talbot at 702-668-4581 or LTALBOT@agri.nv.gov by March 25, 2022. For more information about SFSP,
visit fns.usda.gov/sfsp.
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.
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