NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: December 18, 2019
JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) Office of Child Nutrition (OCN) is seeking sponsors to operate the 2020 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) in counties across Mississippi. The program provides nutritious meals to children during school vacation periods.
In most areas of the state, the program operates from June through August. Meals and snacks are served to children in places such as schools, churches, playgrounds, libraries and parks. Public or private nonprofit schools, units of local, municipal, county or state government, residential summer camps and public or private nonprofit organizations may qualify as program sponsors.
To be eligible, potential sponsors must: (1) show they are financially and administratively capable of operating the program; (2) provide continuing services to the community; and (3) serve meals on a regular schedule to children or provide meals as part of an organized program for enrolled children at camps.
To find out more information about the program, the Office of Child Nutrition invites all potential sponsors to the SFSP “squash sessions.” These meetings, designed to answer questions about the program, will be provided in various locations statewide. Tentative sessions dates are:
- January 14, 2020 (Pearl)
- February 18, 2020 (Mississippi Delta)
- February 21, 2020 (Gulfport)
Potential sponsors should contact MDE’s Office of Child Nutrition immediately to receive registration and exact location information for each session (no walk-ins, please). Organizations may contact Susie Q. Gater (SFSP Director) susie.evans@mdek12.org or April D. Catchings (SFSP Outreach Coordinator) acatchings@mdek12.org with MDE Office of Child Nutrition, P.O. Box 771, Jackson, MS 39205; phone: (601) 576-4954.
More information about the SFSP may be accessed through the USDA website at https://www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp/summer-food-service-program.
Media Contact:
Patrice Guilfoyle, APR
Director of Communications
601-359-3706
Jean Cook, APR
Director of Public Relations
601-359-3519