Summer food programs are gearing up for higher demand this year as inflation hovers at more than 4% and in-store food prices remain high.
“It’s a good place where the kids in the district can get at least one good meal a day,” said Colleen Grimplin, Leechburg Area School District’s food service director.
The programs, which provide free meals to school-aged children through summer months, are seen as a critical resource, especially for children in low-income areas who depend on school meals for adequate nutrition.
Some school districts offer programs on their own to make up for meals no longer available when the school year ends. Other programs are overseen by regional food banks using schools or other community centers, such as churches or summer camps, as places to offer the meals.
According to Feeding America, families spend an average of $200 more per child over the summer than during the school year to make up for the lack of free school lunches. Summer meal programs help alleviate some of that added financial burden.
Leechburg Area schools again will offer free summer meals to children throughout the district, helping ensure students continue to have access to nutritious food. The district participates in the Community Eligibility Provision, a state program that provides free meals to all enrolled students during the regular school year. Schools can qualify to use the money through the summer months as well.
The district averages about 600 meals each summer, though district officials expect participation to increase this summer because of rising food costs and inflation.
All children 18 and younger are eligible to receive a free meal, regardless of whether they attend Leechburg Area schools.
School-run programs also are available to students in the New Kensington-Arnold and Highlands school districts.
Southmoreland School District does much the same thing, though its program is offered at area parks, not in school buildings.
Free lunches are available for all students up to age 18 at Loucks, Barclay and Everson Centennial parks weekdays from June 15 to July 31.
There are no registration requirements, and to-go lunches will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Monday through Friday. Shelf-stable breakfast kits also will be available for students to take and eat the next morning.
“Our hope is that these meals provide the assistance and nutrition needed for the children and families in our community during the summer months,” said Southmoreland Director of Food Service Zachary Malavite.
He said Southmoreland also is a Community Eligibility Provision district, meaning students do not have to pay for lunches even during the school year.
“School meals account for roughly half of all breakfasts and lunches for school-aged children over the course of the calendar year and having the opportunity to provide the meals served during our summer operation can truly help many children and families with food insecurity,” Malavite said.
He said district employees prepare, deliver and distribute meals, and volunteers assist with service at sites.
Food bank programs
Both the Greater Pittsburgh and Westmoreland County food banks offer summer meal programs, and both are expecting increased demand this year.
“We’ve received probably 20 calls within the last week just asking for pantry information as well as a summer meal program,” said Jill Wood, program coordinator for the Westmoreland County Food Bank. “For people to be calling for both at the same time is very abnormal.”
The Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank is anticipating a rise in program participation this summer, particularly in rural areas like Greene and Butler counties.
According to Kelley Gross, the food bank’s child nutrition director, the organization served 40% more meals in Greene County in 2025 than in 2024 through its Summer Youth Cafe program. Last summer, the Pittsburgh food bank served 1.2 million meals to children and their families across the 11 counties it covers.
Gross attributed the increase to greater awareness of the existence of the program.
As news of the summer meal offerings spreads, more families are taking advantage.
To prepare for the anticipated demand, Gross said, the food bank has begun stocking shelf-stable boxes of groceries in case it runs out of fresh food so it can offer a package for families to take home.
The Summer Youth Cafes, also offered by the Westmoreland County Food Bank, provide free meals to any child 18 or younger. There are more than 200 participating locations in the Greater Pittsburgh area, including churches, pools, parks, YMCAs, schools and more.
The Kiski Area School District is supplying its students with summer meals through the youth cafe program. For a dine-in option, families can take their children to Kiski Area East Primary for lunch from June 15 to Aug. 14. They offer lunch Mondays through Fridays from 11:30 am to noon.
If grab-and-go is preferred, free breakfast and lunch is available at Kiski Area Upper Elementary from June 15 to Aug. 14. Families can stop in on Mondays from 11:30 am to noon to grab meals. Both locations are open to anyone 18 or younger and the meals are free.
Students in the Franklin Regional School District are among those who can receive free breakfast and lunch through the Westmoreland Food Bank’s Summer Food Program.
The food bank was part of the state-managed program until it opted to create its own program in 2024.
“Our program operates very similarly, but we’re self-funded,” said food bank Director of Development Lauren Hill. “We’re still operating mostly by their model with trained site supervisors, everyone having their clearances — all of the beneficial parts of the Summer Food Service Program.”
Striking out on its own allowed the food bank to continue the grab-and-go-style meals its staff served under relaxed program regulations during the covid-19 pandemic.
Last year, Hill said, the program served more than 43,000 meals to 1,000-plus children over its eight-week run. The program is open to children 18 and younger and operates at community locations, such as the MC2 Community Outreach Center in Export.
The program runs from June 22 through Aug. 14.
The overall program has 15 sites this year, Hill said. For more information, see WestmorelandFoodBank.org. To receive meals at the MC2 location, register at FriendsThriftShop.com.
SUN Bucks
In addition to free meal programs, Pennsylvania runs a summer EBT program, known as SUN Bucks, which is a grocery benefits program that provides households with a one-time payment of $120 for each eligible child to purchase food during summer break. These benefits cans be used at participating retailers to purchase groceries.
Children approved for free/reduced-price school meals or who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits are automatically eligible for SUN Bucks.
Most children who get Medicaid are also automatically eligible for SUN Bucks because their income level is under the income level for the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Program.
Children who get Medicaid through the Children with Special Needs category (PH 95) and children who are in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) will have to apply for SUN Bucks.
They will be added to an existing SNAP/TANF EBT card. Benefits will begin to be issued this month.
For more information, visit the SUN Bucks webpage, or call the SUN Bucks FAQ Line at 877-762-1575.