Magnolia Health Promotes U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service ( FNS) and the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) Office of Health Schools (OHS) Efforts to Provide More Than 2.5 Million Healthy Meals to Mississippi Children This Summer
CLARKSDALE, Miss., June 2, 2015 – Officials from the Agriculture Department, Magnolia Health and the Mississippi Department of Education Office of Healthy Schools today launched a statewide summer food service program to provide more than 2 million healthy meals to impoverished areas across the state. The Agriculture Department targeted Mississippi and 12 other states to boost the program in 2015.
Other states include: Alabama, Arizona, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia.
“Children need good nutrition all year long. When school lets out, millions of low-income
children no longer have access to a healthy school breakfast or lunch,” said USDA Food and
Nutrition Service Regional Administrator Robin Bailey. “USDA’s summer meal programs help fill
the gap for children who depend on free and reduced-price meals when they are in school.”
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) will provide more than 37,639 meals a day in Mississippi – two meals a day per child – for a total of 2.53 million meals throughout the summer of 2015. That’s an increase of 10 percent over the 2.3 million meals (34,218 per day) provided last year. Meals will be provided at schools, mobile sites, low-income housing units, religious institutions, and more.