The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) is seeking local governmental agencies, school districts, faith-based and public/private nonprofit organizations to partner with the Summer Break Café to become sponsors to provide summer meals to children. The Summer Break Café is the summer food service program that is funded by the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by SCDE. The mission is to ensure access to healthy meals to children during the summer months when school is not in session.

Virgie Chambers, SCDE’s Interim Deputy Superintendent of District Operations, Safety, and Student Wellness states, “When students are on break from school during the summer, their nutrition will continue to be a priority. Our 2023 goal is to increase the number of meal sites so that more children get access to nutritious foods this summer. To do that, we need more community partners, especially in rural and low-income areas.”

Summer Break Café partners served approximately 1.4 million meals last summer. Since 2019, however, the number of sponsors has decreased by 40% and sites by 52% respectively. This reduction impacts the number of children that have access to meals throughout the state.

Community partners serving as sponsors at approved sites will receive reimbursement for meals provided to any student 18 years old and younger. Sponsors receive training and technical support beginning with the application process and throughout the operation of their program. Sites can be located at schools, churches, recreation centers, hospitals, cafeterias, farmer’s markets, community and migrant centers, and other areas in the local community.

Please visit our website www.summerbreakcafe.com to learn more about Summer Break Café. 
 
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: How to File a Complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

1. mail:
   U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
   1400 Independence Avenue, SW
   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
2. fax:
   (202) 690-7442; or
3. email:
   program.intake@usda.gov.