USDA-funded program brings free meals and cool comfort to local kids at CUPHD during summer break. A free breakfast and lunch for kids ages 1–18 in Champaign daily from July 25 to Aug. 11, no sign-up required.
Photo: Prithu Banerjee/Unsplash
CHAMPAIGN - As summer stretches on and local schools remain closed, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) is again stepping up to help fill a crucial gap for area families. Beginning Friday, July 25, CUPHD will host the federally funded Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), offering free meals to children through Monday, August 11. The program is part of a nationwide initiative to ensure that children continue to receive nutritious food even when school cafeterias are not operating. Breakfast and lunch will be served Monday through Friday in the CUPHD lobby at 201 West Kenyon Road in Champaign. Breakfast is available from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., and lunch is served from 12:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. The meals are available to all children aged one to 18, with no registration required. All meals must be eaten on-site to meet USDA requirements. “The Summer Food Service Program is a very important program,” said Brandon Meline, CUPHD’s director of Maternal and Child Health. “Many children get most of their nutrient intake from school food service nine months out of the year and it can be a challenge for some families during the summer.”
Meals and snacks are typically served at schools, parks, and other neighborhood locations where children gather.
CUPHD Administrator Julie Pryde noted that this marks the 16th year the district has served as a SFSP site. “We encourage families with children to take advantage of this program and use our building to avoid summer’s heat,” Pryde said. “In addition to the breakfast and lunch, we also have free books, free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, and Disney+ on the lobby TV.” The SFSP is administered in Illinois by the Illinois State Board of Education and funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Across the country, it’s known in some areas as “SUN Meals,” but the goal remains the same: to provide children and teens with access to healthy food during the months they are most vulnerable to hunger. Meals and snacks are typically served at schools, parks, and other neighborhood locations where children gather.
Photo: Grace Galligan/Unsplash
SUN Meals and snacks are typically served at schools, parks, and other neighborhood locations where children gather.
Sponsoring organizations for SFSP include public or private nonprofit education agencies, local government entities, residential camps, and nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status. CUPHD, as a local public health agency, meets these criteria and has a long history of successfully administering the program.
SFSP, local and national agencies work together to make sure no child goes hungry.
An alternative to SFSP is the Seamless Summer Option, available to schools that already participate in the National School Lunch or School Breakfast programs. This option can be easier to manage for some school districts due to reduced paperwork and oversight. However, SFSP remains a key option for community sites like CUPHD that do not operate formal summer school programs but still serve large numbers of children. Under USDA policy, the meal service is provided without discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Families who believe they have experienced discrimination can file a complaint by completing the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, available both online and at USDA offices. Through programs like SFSP, local and national agencies work together to make sure no child goes hungry just because school is out. In Champaign-Urbana, the CUPHD site is more than just a place to eat — it's a safe, cool space where children can stay active, entertained, and well-fed throughout the hot summer days.
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