Many libraries around the country already participate in the Summer Food Services Program (SFSP), a USDA-funded program that provides free meals and snacks to children ages 0-18 in communities with high levels of need. Libraries and SFSP are a great fit! Libraries are free and open to all, welcome children and teens, offer enrichment programming, and in many cases have a community meeting room or other interior space where food may be served. For these and other reasons, libraries are very attractive to SFSP sponsors and state administrative agencies. And, SFSP is good for the library too. Besides the obvious benefits of addressing hunger and supporting vulnerable youth, participation benefits libraries through:

Access to new user groups, especially underserved and marginalized populations;
Increased visibility of the library as a community asset;
Opportunities for new partnerships;
Positioning of the library as an important stakeholder in community well-being and positive child outcomes;
Support for summer library programming through increased attendance.

Please check out the Collaborative Summer Library Program’s (CSLP) Libraries and Summer Food guide. This how-to guide, created by the Child and Community Well-Being Committee, provides a step-by-step for libraries interested in becoming SFSP sites, or otherwise getting involved in addressing child food insecurity during the summer. It shows how to find out if a library is in an SFSP-eligible area, how to take the first steps toward becoming a site, and what to do if a library is not in an eligible area but still wants to help. It also includes lots of advice, tips, and resources for having a successful summer as a feeding site. Here is the direct link: https://www.cslpreads.org/libraries-and-summer-food/

Libraries and Summer Food can be shared with public libraries as a standalone, or as a supplement to your state-specific resources. Thank you for your help in addressing child hunger.

In Michigan, you can find out how to apply to be a site at: https://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-66254_34491_96106-511785--,00.html.

~ This message is from the CSLP Child & Community Well-Being Committee

Cathy Lancaster

Youth Services Coordinator

Library of Michigan
702 W. Kalamazoo St.
Lansing, MI 48915

LancasterC5@michigan.gov | 517-335-8129 | www.mi.gov/libraryofmichigan

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