The federal government provides two programs that provide free meals to kids in the summer: SUN Meals and SUN Bucks.
SUN Meals
There is no application and no income limit for SUN Meals. All children 18 and younger qualify.
There are two types of SUN Meals: Eat On-Site and Meals To-Go.
- Eat On-Site
- meals and snacks must be eaten at the site
- kids get to spend time with other kids and many sites also offer enrichment activities
- Meals To-Go
- available in some rural areas
- meals and snacks can be picked up to eat off-site
- sites may provide meals and snacks for multiple days at a time
- kids may get to spend time with other kids before taking their meals or snacks off-site and sites may also offer enrichment activities
To find a SUN Meals site near you, use the map below.
Learn more about USDA’s SUN Programs: Summer Nutrition Programs for Kids.
SUN Bucks
For SUN Bucks, you have to apply and meet certain income limits. Only school-aged children qualify.
- If you qualify for SUN Bucks, you will get $120 to buy groceries during the summer.
- This is a benefit you can get on top of other benefits you may have, such as SNAP or WIC.
- You can also get SUN Meals on top of SUN Bucks.
- For more information: