Tennessee – The Tennessee Department of Human Services announced the 2025 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) application period for organizations interested in becoming sponsors. The application window will be open from February 1 through May 1, 2025. The program ensures children 18 and younger who rely on school meals will continue receiving nutritious food during the summer months.
Each year, TDHS collaborates with food sponsors statewide to provide meals, with the program running from the end of May until the start of the school year. This year, there will be added flexibility, allowing some sponsors to provide “grab and go” meals in rural areas.
TDHS Commissioner Clarence H. Carter emphasized the importance of the SFSP, which serves to combat hunger during the summer months. “Last year, we supported over 1350 meal sites and served approximately 4.9 million meals,” Carter said. “This year, we are focused on expanding our outreach into rural communities.”
The program will further expand into rural counties with limited SFSP sites, including Benton, Carroll, Carter, Cocke, Fayette, Grainger, Houston, Humphreys, Johnson, Lauderdale, Marshall, Moore, Rhea, Sequatchie, and Sumner counties. TDHS is actively recruiting sponsors to serve these areas and invites other organizations statewide to participate.
Organizations interested in becoming sponsors or serving as feeding sites under existing sponsors can reach out to TDHS at [email protected]. More information can be found on the TDHS website.
Adults 19 and older with mental or physical disabilities are also eligible to receive free meals if they participate in a school program designed for individuals with disabilities from the previous year.
Parents looking for nearby SFSP locations can call the TDHS main line at 615-313-4749 or contact their local school as the end of the school year approaches.