Summer Food Service Program Hosts Summit; Begins 2024 Application Cycle

NASHVILLE, TN – The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) is announcing its participation in the 2024 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). The goal of the Summer Food Service Program is to ensure children 18 and younger, who benefit from meal programs at school, continue to have that same access to nutritious meals outside of school.

Each year TDHS partners with sponsors across the state to provide these meals. The program traditionally runs from the end of May to August when the next school semester begins. This year sponsors will be able to have the flexibility to provide “grab and go” meals to children in some rural areas.

Organizations, governmental institutions, schools, and religious entities interested in learning more about becoming SFSP sponsors are encouraged to register online for this year’s Summer Summit to be held January 31, 2024.

“The Summer Food Service Program has been a significant resource for partners to provide meals to children across the state when school is out,” said TDHS Commissioner Clarence H. Carter.  “The TDHS Team is ready to expand reach of the program this year and welcomes community organizations to partner with us.”

Historically, the SFSP has operated in most areas of the state, however the need is especially important in rural counties and those designated as distressed. TDHS is hoping to recruit sponsors willing to serve those counties and additional sponsors for every county in the state to help their communities during this time.

Applications for organizations to participate in SFSP will be accepted until May 1, 2024. If your organization is interested in becoming a SFSP sponsor or becoming a feeding site under an existing sponsor, please contact the Tennessee Department of Human Services by e-mail at TNSFSP.DHS@tn.gov. For more information on the Summer Food Service Program, please visit the TDHS website.

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.

Parents interested in finding a Summer Food Service Program feeding location near them are encouraged contact the TDHS Summer Food Service Program main line at 615-313-4749 or contact their local school as the end of the school year approaches.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

mail:

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

fax:

(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

email:

Program.Intake@usda.gov

 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Learn more about the Tennessee Department of Human Services.  

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