On Monday, June 1, locations throughout Nashville and Davidson County will provide free breakfast and lunch meals for children and youth.
The Metropolitan Action Commission received the green light to distribute the federally funded, Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) as “grab and go” meals due to the pandemic.
The requirement of consuming meals on-site as a congregate meal has been relaxed so that the annual summer food program can still provide meals while meeting requirements such as limited gathering sizes and social distancing in public settings.
“We are appreciative of the partners who were able to either adjust their summer program gathering sizes or allow their buildings to be open just to provide meals so that children will have access to nutritious meals throughout the summer,” said Marvin D. Cox, Metro Action Community Services Director.
Nashville has experienced a prolonged impact to resources, particularly food accessibility for many families since the March tornado followed closely by the financial difficulty of COVID-19.
The SFSP is a federal grant that allows Metro Action to prepare and deliver meals to locations to ensure all children and youth that count on free meals at school, receive nutritious meals in the summer months when school is out.
Metro Action also has three mobile café diners that will be located in communities that do not have a facility to accommodate the meals.
The food program will be offered throughout the summer until July 31.
The SFSP is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Metro Action receives the funding through a passthrough grant from the Tennessee Department of Human Services.
For more information about the food program or to access the complete listing of all locations visit our webpage at www.nashville.gov/mac, e-mail us at [email protected] or call 615-862-8860, extension 70100.