Summer Lunch Program Returns: Community Partners Collaborate to Expand Program

The 2025 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) in Polk County begins Monday, July 7, offering free, nutritious meals to children 18 and under during the summer break when school is not in session. The program is federally funded by the USDA and administered at the state level. Locally, Ozarks Food Harvest and Community Outreach Ministries provide the food resource for much of the meals provided. In addition to the funding through SFSP, ToRCH funding from Citizens Memorial Hospital provides supplemental food and supply costs, including transportation expenses and meal packaging supplies. Through these partnerships and