Feed your ImaginationImplementing the Free Federal Summer Breakfast Program at the Mastics Moriches Shirley Community Library

Why Summer Meals?

Our Child Hunger Problem

In our local communities, 46% of children in local elementary schools qualify for federally subsidized meal programs.

Food insecure children have no place to eat when school is not in session

Teens in library would ask staff for food

Library staff noticed young children unattended in library all day, with no meals

Summer Food Service Funds provided by the USDA Administered by State Departments of Education Children 18 years and younger receive free,

nutritious meals (can be hot or cold) Organizations, schools, local government

agencies, etc. serve the meals at safe and convenient sites in communities

Operates during summer months when school is out (July 1- August 30)

NO COST TO YOUR LIBRARY EXCEPT STAFF TIME !

Program Structure

Who is a Sponsor?

Any organization that can handle the financial, administrative, and food service responsibilities of running the program.

Our sponsor was LI Cares – The Harry Chapin Food Bank of Long Island.

Sponsor Activities

Signs agreement with State Agency setting forth the responsibilities of each party

Attends training conducted by State Agency on how to operate the program

Financial and administrative record keeping

Manages food service (self-prep or vended)

Trains sites

Receives reimbursement from States for meals and administrative costs

Site Responsibilities Attends the training conducted by Sponsor Serves meals

and supervises meal services

Tracks the number of meals served

Stores food appropriately

Keeps the site clean and sanitary

Follows program requirements and guidelines

Conducts any additional programming (i.e. reading program, activities, games, etc.)

Library Newsletter Copy

Free Breakfast for ChildrenThe library is proud to be participating in the NYS Education Department’s Summer Food Service Program, which provides free boxed meals to children during the summer at community locations. This program is made possible by the USDA and our meal sponsor, LI Cares – The Harry Chapin Food Bank. Meals are first come, first served. All William Floyd district children and teens up to age 18 are eligible. Contact the Community Services Department at 399-1511, ext. 295, if you have questions or concerns.

Challenges - Facility Where to serve meals so that sanitary

requirements met & comfortable/visible?

Storage of food and drinks in bulk quantities

Set up and distribution of meals has strict guidelines

Display of signage and menus

Surprise!Even though you are serving pre-packaged food, you WILL BE

Inspected by your county health department. It helps if they understand the summer food service program

Need to have copies of your water sample records/public water testing and/or sewer records

Challenges - Staff

Training many levels of staff to strict program guidelines (pages, clerks, librarians, custodians, administrators)

Getting over the fear of food in library

Getting used to pre-packaged food idea

Record keeping accuracy

Encouraging kids to eat at least 2 items

For more information:

Tara D’Amato, Assistant DirectorMastics Moriches Shirley Library

Tara.damato@gmail.com

How We Structured It

Open site – as long as children under 18, can eat with no questions asked

Paired the meal times with activities happening within the hour in Children’s Department

Adult Department gave up floor space to serve meals in a public area to encourage walk ins

Summer Meals = Success

July    first meals:  1203    seconds: 55Aug.   first meals:   970     seconds: 42

Totals:                  2173                   97

Grand Total: 2270 meals served at the Community Library in first year summer of the program

So Successful We Quit! Our program gained the attention of the

local school district. They signed on to the summer meals program and began serving hot meals through their cafeterias.

We no longer needed to be a meal site for children in out community because the need was finally met!