(FRANKFORT, Ky.) -- Five Kentucky organizations that sponsor Summer Food Service Programs (SFSP) for children are recipients of 2005 Summer Sunshine Southeast Region Awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Two awards were given in each of the five categories. The Kentucky programs and their winning categories are:
- KY Communities Economic Opportunity Council, Inc.: Partnering With Other Organizations or Groups, presented to groups that linked their outreach efforts, program operations and/or activities with other groups to form a coalition to support serving low-income children in Summer Food Service Programs.
- Daviess Co. Board of Education: Successful Program Expansion, presented to groups that have substantially increased summer food service to children in the community by developing creative strategies to promote and expand participation or through access under the Simplified Summer Program.
- Northern KY Community Action Agency: Community and Faith-Based Organizations, presented to groups that coordinated efforts to eliminate obstacles to the participation of faith-based organizations and the activities these community groups exhibited to expand the services of the program.
- Northern KY Community Action Agency: Partnering With Other Organizations or Groups, presented to groups that linked their outreach efforts, program operations and/or activities with other groups to form a coalition to support serving low-income children in Summer Food Service Programs.
- Harlan County Community Action Agency: Successful Program Expansion, presented to groups that have substantially increased summer food service to children in the community by developing creative strategies to promote and expand participation or through access under the Simplified Summer Program.
- God's Pantry Kids Café Program, Lexington: Improved Nutrition and Physical Activities, presented to groups with activities that will promote lifelong healthy eating habits and engage more physical activities with nutrition education.
The USDA created the Summer Sunshine Awards to recognize the extraordinary efforts and the creative and successful strategies program operators and other groups contribute to the SFSP.
Other SFSPs in Kentucky were nominated and submitted award applications: the Shelby County Board of Education, Pennyrile Allied Community Services, Inc. and the Bullitt County Board of Education.
The category winners will compete next year for national recognition. Several programs competed in more than one category, and Northern KY Community Action Agency won in both of the two categories in which it was competing.
The SFSP provides nutritious meals to children without regard to race, color, national origin, age (within statutory limits), sex or handicap, during extended school vacation periods. In most areas, the program operates from May until school goes back in to session in August or September. Meals and snacks are served to children in such places as schools, playgrounds, parks and churches.
Public or private nonprofit schools, units of local, municipal, county or state government, and public or private nonprofit agencies may qualify as sponsors of the Summer Food Service Program. Residential summer camps whose enrollment includes needy children may also act as program sponsors.
Qualified sponsors are reimbursed for program operating and administrative expenses up to the current rates of reimbursement. To be eligible, sponsors must provide continuing service to the community, serve meals on a regular schedule to children or provide meals as a part of an organized program for enrolled children at camps and show they are financially and administratively capable of operating the program.
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