Summer Food Service Program for Minnesota

Program Overview

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) for Minnesota is funded by the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) and is administered by the Department of Education. The SFSP assists children belonging to underprivileged backgrounds and poor households to buy food items to improve their health conditions during their summer vacations. Through the Summer Food Service Program, the state makes sure that the children are getting nutritious food when they are not attending school during summer breaks.

Program Objectives

The main aim of the Minnesota Summer Food Service Program is to provide the kids from underprivileged families living on a fixed budget with an opportunity to improve their food quality and receive healthy nutrition during their summer breaks. It helps them add valuable nutrition to their diet by purchasing food that is healthy and nutritious.  Through the program, individuals and families are given education on how to include healthy food in their diet. This leads them to live a healthy and self- sustaining lifestyle subsequently increasing the quality of life of the people in the state.

The program is run by various local agencies that are sponsored by the Minnesota State Department of Education in different communities. Their job is to identify children living in poor households whose parents’ income is low. The agencies also work to distribute healthy meals around churches, parks, and playgrounds.

Eligibility Requirements

Only eligible applicants can avail the benefits of the Summer Food Service Program for Minnesota and the eligibility requirements include,

• The candidate should be a permanent resident of Minnesota State
• The candidate must have a US citizenship or legal alien to receive the food supplement program
• The candidate must be a high school student with 18 years of age or younger
• The income level of the household should be within the income limit brackets specifies by the federal and the state government

The number of members in the household and the total household income are also very important factors while considering a candidate for the Summer Food Service Program in the state of Minnesota.

There are other certain criteria for the Summer Food Service Program for Minnesota which decides the eligibility of the candidate including,

• If the children are migrant
• If the children are homeless or don’t live at their home due to factors like abusive parents
• If the children qualify for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provided by the state

You can also visit the official website of the Minnesota Summer Food Service Program website to check the eligibility criteria of the program. The applicant will have to provide information like,

• Earnings
• Rent or mortgage
• Utility expenses
• Child support expenses
• Day-care expenses
• Other benefit programs you have applied to
• Any other payments

 How to Apply?

There are multiple ways to apply for the Minnesota Summer Food Service Program which an applicant can use to apply for the program,

• Apply through App

After making sure of your eligibility for the Summer Food Service Program, the next step is the application process. You can make your application by downloading the Summer Eats Minnesota on your laptop or mobile phones. Here you will be provided with all the necessary information to apply for the SFSP. This app provides easy and fast online services to the citizens of Minnesota to access the application form.

• Apply via Phone Call and SMS

To apply for the Minnesota SFSP, you can call at the 2-1-1 Hotline. If you are calling through a mobile phone you can contact the Minnesota Department of Education via the following numbers

• 651-291-0211 ( For the residents of Twin City Metro Area)
• 800-543-7709 (For the rest of the Minnesota area)
• 651-291-8440 ( For TTY users)
• 1-877-842-6273 (For Spanish users)

You can contact the Minnesota SFSP vis SMS. To SMS write “Summer Meals” and send it to 97779 or “Verano” for Spanish speakers.

It is important to fill the application as accurately and truthfully as possible because false statements can lead you to penalties. Once the application is submitted you cannot change it hence it is advisable to be careful while filling out the application form.

For Further Information

In case of queries or any extra data required, information about the Minnesota Summer Food Service Program is available on the Minnesota Department of Education website. It provides information regarding the program policies and guidelines to applicants to help them get a better understating of the program. This makes the applying process very flexible for the applicants who can use any of the above-mentioned methods to apply for the Summer Food Service Program in the state of Minnesota.