When the school year ends, so do the breakfasts and lunches that keep thousands of Georgia children nourished. It’s a reality that too many families face: the meals their kids depend on vanish, while grocery costs and stress levels soar.
If you’re wondering how families cope when school is out and meals disappear, you’re not alone. Learn more about why summer is the hardest season for struggling families.
The Impact of School Closures on Food Insecurity
Throughout Georgia, more than 60% of public school students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. That’s millions of meals provided each week during the academic year. But when schools close for summer break, those meals disappear, and many families are left without a clear replacement.
Summer meal programs do exist, but access can be uneven and often unknown to the people who need them most. Many programs operate on limited hours or require families to visit pickup sites that aren’t reachable without a car.
Are Free Summer Meals Available in Georgia?
Yes — but knowing where to go and what’s available is half the battle. In Georgia, several programs provide free meals to children during the summer months:
- The USDA’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP): Offers meals to kids 18 and under, served at approved locations like schools, churches, libraries, and community centers.
- Seamless Summer Option (SSO): Allows schools to continue serving meals through their regular food service system.
- Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL): Offers a searchable map of summer meal sites.
Even with these programs in place, there are significant gaps. Some families don’t qualify. Others can’t get to the meal site. Still others feel the stigma of standing in line with their children at a public pickup location.
That’s where Ministries of Grace steps in.
How Ministries of Grace Delivers Meals Without Barriers
At Ministries of Grace, we believe no child should go hungry just because they can’t get to a meal site. Our feeding program operates through our Meals by Grace initiative, which was created specifically to address food insecurity in our community year-round. That’s why we bring the meals to them.
Our food distribution model includes:
- Weekly and bi-weekly home deliveries of fresh, healthy food
- Support tailored to each family’s needs, including allergy accommodations and culturally sensitive options
- Dignity-centered care that removes stigma and restores hope
One box of food can mean the difference between worry and relief. It can mean a full fridge and the chance to just be a kid for the summer.
Most Needed Summer Items for Families
While Ministries of Grace provides as much support as possible during the summer months, our ability to help depends on the generosity of people like you. Right now, the most in-demand summer items include:
- Shelf-stable milk – always a top priority
- Gift cards – especially for:
- Shoe stores
- Clothing stores
- Gas stations
- School supplies – especially backpacks
You can help in two powerful ways:
- Donate these items directly to Ministries of Grace, and we’ll get them to the families who need them most.
- Give online if you don’t have time to shop — your financial gift helps us buy what’s needed right away.
👉 Donate Now and make a real difference this summer.
You Can Make Summer a Season of Hope
This summer, hundreds of children across Georgia will face hunger. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
When you give, you’re not just helping feed a child. You’re empowering a family. You’re easing a parent’s fear. You’re making sure summer stays a time of joy instead of crisis.
Donate now to help us deliver free summer meals directly to families in need.
Together, we can make sure every child has what they need to grow, play, and thrive — all summer long.
