DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Education is seeking sponsors for its Summer Food Service Program.

The Summer Food Service Program or SFSP is a United States Department of Agriculture program that the Iowa Department of Education administers. The program’s goal is to feed children who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch over the summer when school is out.

The Department of Education needs sponsors for the program who can operate as meal sites to give out meals to the kids who need them.

Many schools already act as sponsors for the SFSP but there are still children who are too far away to access the free meals the school has to offer.

Heather Doe, the Communications Director for the Iowa Department of Education said that sponsors are needed so meal sites can be accessible to children who need them.

“Over a million meals and snacks are served through those sites each summer but we just want to make sure we have sponsor sites and locations that are really easy for students to get to,” Doe said.

Organizations that want to be sponsors need to operate in neighborhoods where 50% or more of the children qualify for reduced-price or free school lunches.

“So we’re always looking for more sponsors and more sites to ensure that students in their community can easily get to one of these sites to access their meals,” Doe said.

To learn more about the SFSP or how to become a sponsor visit the Iowa Department of Education website.