Today I helped to spread the word in Groton, CT about the Connecticut No Kid Hungry campaign, a partnership of End Hunger CT! and Share Our Strength, to increase awareness of the free summer meals programs throughout Connecticut. I am passionate about helping to reduce hungry in CT and the U.S. as well as support healthy eating, sound nutrition and the importance of physical activity to help kids and adults optimize their health and energy.
Did you know that only 1 in 4 of Connecticut's kids and teens that receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year get the nutrition they need during the summer? CT has more than 400 locations throughout the state that offer free, nutritious meals to kids and teens during the summer months when school meals are unavailable.
You can help increase awareness of the free summer meals programs by:
- sharing this information with others
- putting a poster or flyer up at your business or asking local businesses to post a flyer
- visiting www.ctsummerfood.org for additional information and to discover additional ways to be involved in one of these wonderful nonprofit organizations that are helping to reduce hunger in CT
There are three easy ways to find free summer meals locations for kids & teeens under 18 in CT:
- Visit www.ctsummerfood.org
- Text "CTMeals" to 877-877
- Call toll-free 211
What are summer meals? Summer meals are free, nutritious, meals and snacks that are provided to kids and teens, 18 years of age and younger, throughout the summer when school is out. Meals are made possible through federal nutrition programs, like the:
Find out what's happening in Stonington-Mysticfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
What kind of food is served? Summer meals meet federal nutrition guidelines and are comprised of milk, fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat or another protein. To see if particular dietary substitutions can be made, parents or caregivers should contact the sponsor of the program. Sponsor contact information, when available, can be found by using the Location Finder on this website. Some locations serve breakfast and snacks as well as lunch.
- Use the Location Finder to find the free summer meals locations nearest to you.
What is the cost? It's FREE!
What do you need to register? NOTHING!
What is Connecticut No Kid Hungry? Connecticut No Kid Hungry® Campaign is a partnership between Share our Strength, End Hunger CT!, and Governor Dannel Malloy to help end childhood hunger in Connecticut by 2015.
Find out what's happening in Stonington-Mysticfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
What is End Hunger CT!? End Hunger Connecticut!’s mission is to eliminate hunger in the state through legislative and administrative advocacy, outreach and public education. We move people toward food security and self-sufficiency.
What is Share Our Strength? Share Our Strength® is a national nonprofit that is ending childhood hunger in America. Share Our Strength’s® highest priority is to make sure that every child in America gets the nutritious food he or she needs to learn, grow, and thrive.
Please help me in spreading the word this summer about the FREE summer meals program to help ensure that no child or teen goes hungry this summer.
Katie Jeffrey, MS, RD, CSSD, is a registered dietitian, Board Certified as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics, a columnist, a Licensed Am I Hungry?® Mindful Eating Facilitator, and the owner of FitNutrition, LLC, in Stonington, CT and Westerly, RI. She provides individual nutrition counseling, sports performance nutrition counseling for athletes and educational nutrition presentations on various topics for all age groups. For more information, call 860-917-6131 or go online to www.fitnutrition.net. Join FitNutrition, LLC on Facebook.
