MSU Extension Nutrition

For millions of children who rely on school breakfast and lunch programs, the start of summer often marks the end of reliable nutritious meals. According to the Food Research and Action Center, the summer season can be the most vulnerable and hungriest time for students across the country due to the loss of consistent, free or reduced school meals. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a federally funded, State-administered, locally operated nutrition assistance program to reduce food insecurity during the summer months when schools are not in session. SFSP provides meals to children in low-income areas during the summer and is associated with a number of benefits supportive of child health and development. Despite the benefits, the program has been historically challenged by program underutilization, staffing and documentation. In an effort to reach more children and provide greater flexibility and support, the USDA rebranded SFSP in March of 2024 to SUN Programs and added more options to enhance food and nutrition security. According to the Michigan Department of Education, the state agency that administers SUN Programs in Michigan, children accessed nearly 7 million meals at more than 1,400 SUN program sites throughout the state in 2024.

In Grand Traverse County, the most populous county in the Northwest Michigan region, 3 physical SUN program locations are currently available.  Data from the 2023 Feeding America’s Mapping the Meal Gap reveals the rate of food insecurity among children in Grand Traverse County to be nearly 14% with 63% of children considered income eligible for federal nutrition assistance. Feeding America West Michigan and Traverse City Area Public Schools Student Support Network are among the local and regional organizations partnering with others to reduce summer food insecurity. 

Libraries Open Doors to Food and Learning with Summer Lunch Program

“Libraries are incredibly accessible places for everyone. Everyone is welcome and they provide resources, making them a natural partner, while enhancing learning and literacy opportunities during the summer,” Shay Kovacs shares. Kovacs, the Programs Manager for Feeding America West Michigan, has helped expand the reach and participation of their summer lunch program, Gather 2 Grow, by partnering with libraries. The program initially participated as a local sponsor for the Summer Food Service Program and decided to try a different approach a few years ago as they hoped it would better serve the needs of their communities. “Our program is not meant to replace SFSP, but really to target where SFSP is not a viable option for one reason or another.” Over the last 7 years, Gather 2 Grow has grown from 3 to 56 sites in 17 of their 43 service counties. Gather 2 Grow is a program of Feeding America West Michigan, one of six food banks in the state servicing 43 counties in West Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. 

Having worked at a food bank for a decade, it’s not new for Kovacs to hear people question why programs such as Gather 2 Grow are needed. “I’ve heard all sorts of things from donors and others. When I give a tour of the food bank, I ask people to imagine a person who is in need, or hungry -- what does that person look like? When they open their eyes, I ask if that person looked like me, because I was that person.” Due to events in her life, Kovacs lost more than half of her monthly income as a mother in her mid-20s. “I could pay bills, but I couldn’t feed us, there wasn’t any money left. Food budgets are often the first to be affected when money is tight. Families buy generic, cheaper, less nutritious food because it will go further.”  

This is the second season Traverse Area District Library (TADL) has been a partner location for Gather 2 Grow. For Andy Schuck, Head of Youth Services at TADL, the program pairs nicely with their summer reading club, where families and children are already gathering. “We’ve been looking for ways to support greater food security and this program made it simple for us.” With assistance primarily from a volunteer, the meals are set up in the lobby from 11:00-12:30 with children either taking a meal to-go or eating on the library lawn. According to Schuck, TADL averages between 250-320 lunches distributed a week. “We see a lot of gratitude for offering a meal here. You often think of Traverse City as a city with plenty of resources and everyone is doing fine. When we do a program like this, we realize people need some help.” Public libraries have increasingly been identified as trusted community places to support food security efforts. “The library is for everyone. Any or all families can get a meal -- we don’t judge or ask questions. We love how libraries are gaining more attention as community hubs, or third spaces.” 

Sunshine on Wheels: A Mobile Solution to Summer Needs

Katie Kubesh coordinates the Student Support Network at Traverse City Area Public Schools. The network is described as a collective of services that provide “free, supportive, education-related services and non-academic support to all students to help overcome obstacles that may create barriers to learning.” Through brainstorming conversations with Traverse City-based food pantry, Father Fred, on how to support summer food needs, the concept of the Sunshine Bus was born. Kubesh credits new approaches the district used during the Covid-19 pandemic to distribute food, and a regular weekend meal program offered during the school year, known as Blessings in a Backpack as inspiration that led to the development of the Sunshine Bus. 

For 10 weeks this summer, the bus drives to eight area locations, Wednesday-Friday, distributing bags of food and hygiene supplies. The neighborhood locations are informed by data on where clusters of students who are experiencing homelessness, defined as “students who lack fixed or regular nighttime residence.” During the first week of the program, the bus delivered 190 bags of food and 150 hygiene kits. Kubesh explains the contents of the food bag are meant to be easily prepared by youth ranging in age between 12-16 and who are home alone while parents or caregivers are working. A typical bag may include a loaf of bread, peanut butter and jelly, cereal, shelf stable milk and yogurt, granola bars, canned pasta and fruit. “We know during the summer; students may go a day without eating. The more ways we can get food out the better. We’ve found the program supports our ability to stay connected to families and positions us to better support them for the start of a new school year.”

Kubesh acknowledges food budgets are often the first to be impacted when money is tight. “It’s hard for people to ask for help. I give a lot of credit to families who show up. I find that most families are working, kids are home and they are having a hard time paying for rent, utilities. There’s not a lot of leftover for food.” 

The Student Support Network has found the mobile program helps them stay connected to families during the summer and positions them to be of continued support for the start of a new school year. The Sunshine Bus is funded through grants that support the purchase of food and transportation costs and relies on support from a variety of community organizations that include Father Fred Foundation, Step Up Northern Michigan, Food Rescue of Northwest Michigan and the Grand Traverse Bay Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. 

Looking Forward

The early July passage of the 2025 federal reconciliation bill includes the largest cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid in U.S. history. The bill also eliminated funding for SNAP-Ed, an evidence-based program delivered by MSU Extension shown to empower SNAP eligible families to make healthier food and physical activity choices and support more food secure communities. According to the Congressional Budget Office, SNAP will be cut by $295 billion and $793 to $1.02 trillion for Medicaid between 2025-2034. The reductions in SNAP will also reduce the number of students who are considered automatically qualified for free school meals, making the process less streamlined for schools and families. Anti-hunger advocates like Shay Kovacs believe federal cuts will cause more people to seek out and need food support for the first time. “I know I was grateful the food bank was there to help me. For people who are new to seeking out food assistance, keeping it simple and easy is important. Getting a free meal at the library, no questions asked, is a dignified and respectful way to start.”

Michigan Food Assistance Resources 

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Food Bank Council of Michigan

Double Up Food Bucks Community Resources

MSU Extension partnered with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to provide SNAP-Ed throughout Michigan. SNAP-Ed focuses on good nutrition, stretching food dollars, living physically active lifestyles and engaging partners to build healthier communities.