Find a Vermont summer meal site near you
All children 0-18 eat for free—no paperwork, no registration, no I.D. needed!
Hunger doesn’t take a vacation.
Summer meals help fill the gap when school is out and ensure that children come back to school well-nourished and ready to learn.
More than 1.5 million meals were fed to kids throughout the state in 2025—at libraries, parks, pools, churches, camps, schools, and more!
Hunger Free Vermont supports communities in establishing and growing their summer meal programs through free, individualized support and outreach.
We also help community members promote summer meals and share information with our free printable outreach materials.
Looking for information in other languages? You can find translated summer meals videos here and contact emorrell@hungerfreevt.org for tailored resources.
What can I expect at summer meal sites?
No ID, no paperwork, no money needed at open sites all across the state – just show up, line up, and enjoy! Caregivers can pick-up for children, and all kids 0-18 qualify.
What does a summer meal look like?
Summer meals follow guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein, and fluid milk or a milk alternate. They can be served hot or cold, and many Vermont sites feature local food.
You may get meals at a congregate site, where children get one tray of food to consume at the location.
Or you may pick-up meals at a non-congregate site, where kids can take meals or bulk ingredient meal kits to-go to eat elsewhere (in rural areas).
How long are summer meals available?
Summer meals are typically available the week after school ends and run through the end of August, though it varies by location. Check in with your local site to learn more.
Why are summer meals important?
In Vermont, more than 80,000 kids lose access to free school breakfast and lunch during summer break, contributing to hunger, learning loss, and other negative impacts. Summer meals combat this! They help feed kids, reduce pressure on household resources, bring federal dollars into localities, attract youth to safe spaces, and support kids returning to school ready to learn – and so much more!
Are you interested in setting up a summer meal site or sharing outreach materials? Visit our new summer meals site support page and find printable promotional materials here.