May 2019
EXHIBITS APPLICATIONS OPEN TODAY
WWW.IOWAHUNGERSUMMIT.ORG/
SUMMER MEAL MEET-UPS
Summer is a time for Food, Friends, and Fun – Find a Summer Meal site in your Community!
Summer break is almost here! While learning does not end when school lets out, neither does the need for good nutrition. Children who are well nourished in the summer return to school ready to learn in the fall. The USDA Summer Food Service Program, administered by the Iowa Department of Education and sponsored by local schools, cities, and community organizations, provides free meals to children when school is out.
Over 500 summer meal sites, also known as Summer Meal Meet-Ups, will operate across Iowa from June through August. All kids and teens, ages 18 and younger, can receive a meal for free, no identification or sign-in is required. In addition to a meal, many sites will offer fun learning and recreational activities, so kids stay active and spend time with friends.
Your help is needed to ensure a nutritious summer today! Your organization can assist families in finding a summer meal site near them by using one of the methods below. M
eals, days and times vary by location, so check the local site for availability. Help spread the word in your community!
- Text “Food” or “Comida” to 877-877
- Call 2-1-1, 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-866-3-HAMBRE
- Visit www.fns.usda.gov/
Summer is a time for food, friends, and fun! Help families take the stress out of providing nutritious meals in the summer months by participating at one of these summer meal site! See you this summer!
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT
WWW.FNS.USDA.GOV/
USDA FOOD + NUTRITION SERVICE'S
MIDWEST REGION
Effective October 1, 2019, the State of Iowa will move to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s Midwest Region, joining Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin in that region. This move is designed to more evenly distribute states among regions and to provide optimal customer service, a key objective of USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue.
In anticipation of this move, the Midwest Region asked us to share information on some networks it facilitates that may be of interest. You can find that information below. If you have questions about the networks or the realignment, please direct them to the identified Midwest Region Public Affairs staff.
USDA Midwest Health Care Partners
A growing number of hospitals and health care providers have become interested in hunger/nutrition and in learning more about USDA nutrition programs and/or leveraging our programs. To facilitate these interests and activities, we created a USDA Midwest Health Care Partners network in 2013. We hold hour-long conference calls three times annually and highlight up to four best practices/innovative models related to healthy food access, promoting nutrition, addressing hunger and/or related issues. We also send monthly email blasts that contain resources, grants, opportunities, and news related to these areas. You can find the most recent email blast here.
Sign up to receive Health Care Partners emails!
USDA Midwest Region GoodGreens Local Food System Network
This network of nearly 1500 individuals and organizations is primarily from the Midwest. GoodGreens seeks to support and/or establish local food systems and includes individuals, organizations, funders and businesses that represent every facet of local food systems—including community gardens, urban agriculture, healthy food access, farms, schools, food policy, distribution and everything in between. We hold monthly meetings in our office and send email blasts twice monthly that contain information, grants and resources for all of the areas listed above. Meetings are held 3-4 times per year from 10am – 12pm central time. Participation is in person or via webinar or phone, though many who are signed up don’t attend regularly—or at all—but like to receive the email blasts. Interested persons can sign up to receive GoodGreens email blasts via the button at the bottom of the blast.
Check out the GoodGreens Local Food System Network!
Midwest Farmers Market Partners
A USDA Food and Nutrition Service facilitated collaborative of Midwest farmers market coordinators, vendors, educators, federal nutrition program partners and community leaders that meet to discuss the challenges, successes, news, and events of interest to farmers markets. We send email blasts with news, grants, and related information approximately monthly and we hold webinars 3-4 times per year. Interested persons can sign up to receive email blasts via the button at the bottom of the blast.
Connect with the Midwest Farmers Market Partners!
CONTACT
Alan Shannon
Public Affairs Director
alan.shannon@usda.gov
Penny Weaver
Public Affairs Specialist
penny.weaver@usda.gov
Food and Nutrition Service, Midwest Region
United States Department of Agriculture
Office: 312.353.1044
UPCOMING EVENTS
International Master Gardener Conference
Monday, June 17
Valley Forge, PA
Iowa Farm to School Conference
Friday, June 21
Central College
Pella, IA
Be sure to let us know if you have an event coming up!
Submit event's to the Iowa Hunger Calendar Here!