Provided by the USDA, the Summer Food Service Program provides nutritious meals to children and youth up until the age of 18 at no cost when school is not in session

Summer Feeding Bus

Downtown Phoenix is defined as a food desert; that is-local residents have to travel more than 1 mile to access a grocery store. During the summer, children tend to eat unhealthy food, increase sugar intake, and eat fewer vegetables compared to the regular school year. Inadequate consumption of healthy food is associated with negative outcomes relating to academic, behavioral, and cognitive abilities. We understand many barriers exist that limit children and youth from accessing nutritious food during the summer. We understand hunger does not take a vacation and our desire is to actively address nutritional inequities.

As a recipient of the Shared Use Grant with Maricopa County Department of Public Health, and in partnership with the Phoenix #1 Transportation Department, a mobile feeding bus will service the local community to provide meals to children ages 18 and under at no cost.

During the non-summer months, the Child Nutrition Department will utilize the mobile feeding bus to offer various nutrition-education-related activities in order to enhance students’ nutrition knowledge. The nutrition education lessons will introduce easy preparation techniques to our students’ when learning how to cook and prepare vegetables and assorted fruits with lessons centered in math, science, social studies and English. We hope the implementation of the mobile feeding bus will provide our community with the opportunity to gather and strengthen relationships with food and individuals.