Throughout the early summer, how and when to feed students became a heated topic. First, Mayor Katie Wilson proposed a program to provide universal free meals for Seattle students that would begin this fall. Then an amendment proposed by several Seattle City Councilmembers to delay universal meals and enact a food voucher program was met with intense public scrutiny. Now, the city plans to offer free student meals this year.
But programs to provide meals for school children during the school year and breaks are already present in the city.
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) established a free summer meals program to provide students ages 1 to 18 with food throughout the summer break. The program runs weekdays at 36 different sites throughout the city until Aug. 21.
Families can show up at a meal site, where Seattle Public School students can receive breakfast, lunch, and snacks. There is no paperwork, ID checks, or proof of residency required for families to access this resource. "It's a low-barrier program, and [we] encourage anyone to come access it," said Caitlin Moran, communications director of the city's Human Services Department (HSD).
The meal sites are located in community centers and parks throughout the city. In some park locations, free playground activities, such as arts and crafts, board games, or STEM-related projects, are offered. HSD has strategized its outreach, working on providing information in a variety of different languages.
Seán Walsh, a strategic adviser with the HSD Food & Nutrition program, said that through federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the department has been able to provide this service for the last 50 years. The program operates in partnership with Seattle Public Schools, with a team of staff members and volunteers helping run the meal sites as they do during the school year.
HSD provides training to staff and volunteers at the beginning of the summer, ensuring that staff maintain the safety and quality of the meals and that meals are fairly distributed. The team follows federal guidelines to meet nutritional requirements and provide appropriate portions of fruits, vegetables, and protein. Past meals have included hummus wraps, cream cheese bagels, and sandwiches.
"The intention is the same as it was 50 years ago, and that's really to make sure there is not a gap in meal access during these sort of critical summer months, when folks are not able to get that resource through school," said Walsh.
Last summer, the program served 80,000 meals, and program leaders expect to exceed that number this year. This summer, nine meal sites are operating throughout South Seattle, with additional sites in Skyway and Tukwila. Last year, two Skyway sites often served over 100 meals a day.
This year, families with school children are eligible to get grocery vouchers called SUN Bucks, a summer EBT program that provides a one-time $120 benefit per child, at the sites. "Costs are rising for groceries, a lot more families are feeling the pinch from that, and there's been some cuts to other safety-net programs on the federal level," said Moran. "So, we're just happy to be able to step in and provide this resource for Seattle kids and families."
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