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News Release

Department of Community and Recreation Services
12011 Government Center Parkway, Suite 1050
Fairfax, Virginia 22035
703-324-5641, TTY 711, Fax 703-222-9792
Media Contact:  Patricia L. McClenic, Public Information Officer
DCRS@fairfaxcounty.gov
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/rec

March 25, 2010

Summer Meals Program

News Highlights Fairfax County Department of Community and Recreation Services seeking organizations to serve as meal sites for the Summer Meals Programs. This program is designed to fill the nutrition gap while children are out of school for the summer. Meals are delivered to meal sites daily at no charge to the organization serving the meals. Meal sites receive free training, technical assistance and assistance with recruiting volunteers to serve the meals. This is a federally funded program administered nationally by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The Fairfax County Department of Community and Recreation Services (CRS) is now accepting applications for meal sites for the 2010 Summer Meals Programs for Kids. The Summer Meals Program operates from June 28 through September 3, 2010. A meal site can participate in the program at any time during the program’s operating cycle. The Summer Meals Program for kids is open to children and teens up to age 18 and to people over 18 who are mentally or physically disabled.

How does the program work? The meals are delivered to meal sites daily at no charge to the organization serving the meals. Each site can receive up to two meals a day per child.  This is an opportunity for organizations to serve the children in their community. Organizations can have a positive impact on the lives and health of children by being a Summer Meals Program site. 

Meals sites must be located in areas where at least 50 percent of the children are qualified for free or reduced-priced school meals, or where at least 50 percent of the children enrolled in a specific program are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals. All children – regardless of family income level – can receive a free meal at approved sites.

The Summer Meals Program reaches only a fraction of the children in need. The primary reason for the limited access to the program is that there are not enough meal sites. Your community building or place of faith could become a meal site. Sites are the physical locations were food is served. Sites may be located at schools, community centers, faith-based organizations, parks, apartment complexes, homeless shelters, public or private nonprofit summer camps, or local, county or state government agencies.

This is a federally funded program administered nationally by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Meal sites receive free training, technical assistance and assistance with recruiting volunteers to serve the meals.  We need your help.  Please sign up now. Sites must be approved according to USDA’s guidelines. 

To become a meal site this summer, organizations need to complete an application form, which can be found at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/rec or to have one mailed to you, please contact Brent Quarles at 703-360-6088, TTY 711 or by   e-mail at Brent.Quarles@fairfaxcounty.gov.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status.

  “Because Hunger Doesn’t Take a Summer Vacation.”

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Fairfax County is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in all county programs, services and activities and will provide reasonable accommodations upon request.
To request special accommodations call 703-324-4FUN (4386), TTY 711. Please allow ten working days in advance of the event in order to make the necessary arrangements.