Summer Food Service Program

By Under Secretary Kevin Concannon, Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services It is so important to ensure children get enough to eat, especially during summer months when school is out and access to school meals is unavailable. And that’s why bridging the summer food gap is a high priority at USDA.

The USDA Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships co-hosted with USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and USDA FNS Western Regional Office Administrator Allen Ng, another successful community roundtable. More than 100 people attended, including State, county, and city leaders...

By US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Yesterday, I had the opportunity to testify before the House Committee on Education and Labor on the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act. Every five years, Congress considers improvements to the Child Nutrition Act, which provides...

During the school year, the National School Lunch Program serves more than 30.9 million students. What happens when school lets out? In the summer, about 1.4 million of these children eat a school meal in summer school, while over 2 million more enjoy breakfasts, lunches or snacks through the Summer...

When I received an email from US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack regarding the President and first Lady’s summer of service initiative, United We Serve, I thought, “Oh no, now what?” As I read about the goals of the program, I wasn’t sure if I would have either the time or the energy...

On Monday, June 22, 2009, USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, read to children at the Morgan Day Care Center in Silver Spring, MD. The visit was part of President Obama’s “United We Serve” initiative program which is designed make volunteerism and community service part of the daily lives of...