Milwaukee's Summer Food Service Program

Congrats to Ron Harkins, Michael Holt, Hattishanice Jones and Shendela Austin, the winners of this year's Fueling Young Minds radio commercial contest! Listen to the 30-second spot here, or the 60-second spot here, or catch them running this summer on V100, WMCS 1290-AM, Jammin 98.3 and WOKY! And thanks Mary Anne Martiny (pictured far left) for putting the contest together!

Every summer, kids 18 and under eat FREE meals every weekday through the end of August at safe, supervised locations throughout Milwaukee! No paperwork is required—all children are welcome! Organized by Hunger Task Force and sponsored by a generous $125,000 grant from the Harley-Davidson Foundation, Fueling Young Minds served its 2 millionth meal this summer! The collaboration provides nutritious breakfasts, lunches, snacks and whenever possible dinner to children in Milwaukee's poorest neighborhoods through the end of August.

Thanks to our partners—including Milwaukee Public Schools, Salvation Army, Social Development Commission, and the Boys and Girls Clubs—schools, and recreation and community centers are open every summer throughout Milwaukee through the end of August. All children ages 18 and under can receive free meals at area summer food sites—there’s no paperwork or proof of eligibility required. Parents and students are encouraged to dial 211in spring and summer to find the meal location nearest them. Cell phone users dial (866) 211-3380.

Although many cities have summer meals programs for kids, Fueling Young Minds is one of the only programs in the United States that receives funding from private donors such as Harley-Davidson. The United States Department of Agriculture, which awarded Fueling Young Minds the prestigious Summer Sunshine Award in 2005, has studied Fueling Young Minds as a model for merging public and private leadership to serve meals to children from low-income families during the summer months.

The Summer Food Service Program provides federal reimbursement for meals provided to children while school is not in session. However, federal funding only supports meal preparation and food. The Harley-Davidson Foundation’s gift of $125,000 provides much-needed funds for program staffing, child supervision and public awareness and outreach. In addition to the USDA Summer Sunshine Award, Fueling Young Minds won the 2005 Milwaukee Award for Neighborhood Development Initiative (MANDI), sponsored by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation.