Free summer meals available for southern Nevada youth

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is offering free meals to children and teens 18 years and younger in southern Nevada, no questions asked. While school may be out for summer, the need for meals continues. More than 21 million breakfasts and 37 million lunches were served to students in Nevada during the last school year. Many students depend on this food, underscoring the importance of programs like SFSP to fill meal gaps while school is out.

The SFSP is a partnership funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) to provide access to food through community organizations.

“Summer should be a time for kids to grow, explore and thrive, not worry about where their next meal will come from,” said Patricia Hoppe, administrator of the NDA Division of Food and Nutrition. “We encourage families to take advantage of these free meal sites and invite community partners to help us spread the word, so every child has access to the nutrition they need to stay healthy and ready for the school year ahead.”

SFSP meal sites are located in a variety of locations including schools, camps, parks, playgrounds, housing complexes, community centers, churches, and other public sites where children gather in the summer.

Parents, children and teens can find a nearby meal site by visiting nvsummermeals.com, texting "Summer Meals" to 914-342-7744 or calling 1-866-348-6479.

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 225 dedicated employees providing services in its five divisions, Administrative Services, Animal Industry, Measurement Standards, Food and Nutrition, and Plant Health and Compliance. The department’s $288 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.