Blog
Turnip the Beet on Summer Meals
It’s award season! USDA is excited to highlight summer meal sponsors who go above and beyond to ensure children receive nutritious, appetizing meals.
03/22/2024
Blog
Bridging the Gap in SNAP E&T
The 2023 SNAP E&T State Institute, hosted by FNS, brought together 20 state SNAP agencies for a two-day event that aimed to assess and enhance their SNAP Employment and Training programs.
10/16/2023
Blog
Critical Need to Increase Food Security in Rural Alaska
A key part of our work to end hunger, improve nutrition, increase physical activity, and reduce diet-related diseases is focusing on historically under-served areas, like rural and Tribal communities. Alaska, for instance, faces unique challenges.
09/20/2023
Blog
Connecting Kids To Meals: A Valued Resource For Kids In Northwest Ohio
Connecting Kids to Meals, known as CKM, is a nonprofit agency in Toledo, Ohio, that provides healthy meals at no cost to at-risk kids in low-income and underserved areas of Northwest Ohio. With a nearly 20-year history of feeding hungry kids, the critical work of CKM becomes more important every day.
05/22/2023
Blog
Reimagining SNAP E&T for 2023 and Beyond
Last month, 350 SNAP E&T state agencies and other partners from across the country gathered for the 2022 SNAP E&T National Forum. This year’s National Forum included 32 sessions covering a diversity of topics, such as SNAP E&T policy, building E&T programs in rural communities, and using a trauma-informed and anti-racist lens to improve E&T programs.
02/03/2023
Blog
Cultural Relevance in SNAP-Ed: Let’s Get “Real”
Oklahoma Tribal Engagement Partners collaborates with sovereign tribal nations and tribal organizations throughout Oklahoma to tailor SNAP-Ed programming to meet the needs of Native families. Over time, focus groups have expressed what matters to Natives: the need to be “real.” As organizations look to develop culturally relevant programming, they must step back and listen to what matters to families.
11/02/2022
Blog
FNS Programs at Work in the San Francisco Bay Area
In early August, Deputy Under Secretary Stacy Dean and Administrator Cindy Long travelled to San Francisco for meetings and events related to the work FNS does to support local communities - visiting programs that have an impact on addressing hunger.
08/23/2022
Blog
Harvesting Health All Summer Long
The FNS Turnip the Beet awards recognize outstanding summer meal program sponsors for going above and beyond, ensuring children receive high quality meals in a fun, safe and healthy learning environment when school is out.
07/06/2022
Blog
Supporting Local Farmers to Feed Children in Hawaii
We applaud the food service professionals and community partners who have utilized the flexibilities and guidance that USDA has provided to come up with creative ways to get food to the children who need it. In Hawaii, one community college professional found a way to pull resources together for a common cause.
05/21/2020
Blog
Innovation and Collaboration Bring Summer Meals to Children in Rural Texas
Children’s nutritional needs do not take a summer break. This summer, FNS partnered with the Texas Department of Agriculture and Baylor University’s Texas Hunger Initiative to help keep Texas children in several low-income rural areas fed during the summer through a summer meals demonstration project.
08/15/2019
Blog
FNS Fills the Summer Meal Gap in Rural Areas
Most kids look forward to the end of school and the start of summer vacation, but for some it can also mean the loss of the regular meals they rely on during the school year. USDA’s summer meal programs, including the Summer Food Service Program and the Seamless Summer Option, are there to help families ensure children have access to nutritious meals and snacks that help them learn and grow during the summer months.
06/21/2019
Blog
Just Announced ‘Turnip the Beet’ Awards Recognize High-Quality Summer Meals
As school years draw to a close and summer breaks begin, USDA is pleased to announce the third annual Turnip the Beet awardees. These awards recognize outstanding summer meal program sponsors who distinguished themselves with high quality meals that are appetizing, appealing, and wholesome.
06/18/2019
Blog
Across Country, USDA Kicks Off Summer Meals
The school year is out and summer meals are in! Around the country, places like schools, recreation centers, parks, churches, and libraries are serving free, nutritious summer meals to kids up to 18 years old through USDA’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). SFSP was designed to help low-income students during the summer months who aren’t receiving free or reduced-price school meals to continue to have access to meals and snacks.
05/26/2019
Page updated: February 25, 2021