May is a milestone. Report cards come home, backpacks get tucked away, and families look forward to a well-earned summer break.
But for many Louisiana parents, summer brings a new worry: how to keep enough nutritious food on the table when school meals pause.
During the school year, breakfast and lunch served at school can be the most reliable meals a child receives. Nationally, schools serve breakfast to nearly 15 million children each day, and school lunch reaches about 30 million children daily. When school is out, families often have to stretch already-tight grocery budgets even further at the exact time utility bills rise and child care costs can increase.
The summer meal gap is real
Summer hunger isn’t about parenting effort—it’s about math.
When two school meals a day disappear, food costs shift back onto households. That burden lands hardest on working families, grandparents raising grandchildren, and parents juggling seasonal or hourly jobs.
Help is available: free SUN Meals for kids and teens
Across Louisiana, communities offer SUN Meals (USDA’s summer meals programs). Any child 18 and under can receive meals at approved sites—no application needed. Some rural areas may also offer SUN Meals To-Go options, where available.
SUN Bucks can help families buy groceries
In addition to meal sites, eligible children may qualify for SUN Bucks (Summer EBT)—a $120 grocery benefit per eligible school-age child when school is out for summer. Louisiana shares updates and application guidance through the Louisiana Department of Health.
What Feeding Louisiana is doing this summer
Feeding Louisiana and our network of five regional food banks work year-round so families can access food with dignity and consistency. In the summer months, we focus on:
Supporting summer meal access with local partners across communities
Helping strengthen outreach so families know where to go
Connecting eligible households to nutrition supports that reduce grocery pressure
How you can help right now
If you want to make a difference this summer, here are high-impact actions:
Share resources: Send the site finder and hotline info to parents, churches, schools, and community groups.
Volunteer: Summer meal sites and food banks need extra hands when demand rises.
Donate: Flexible funding helps food banks purchase the most-needed items quickly—especially fresh, nutritious foods.
Let’s make sure summer is a season of growth—not hunger
Every child deserves a healthy summer—one with play, learning, and enough nutritious food to thrive. If your family needs help, please use the tools above. If you’re able to help, your time and support can keep a child nourished all summer long.