Feeding Kids
School Meals & the Summer Meals Program
Overview
Childhood hunger should never be on the table
At Project Bread, we know that to end hunger for everyone, we need to start with feeding our kids. Project Bread is relentless in our fight against childhood food insecurity. Through a mix of advocacy and program work, we focus on feeding kids in schools and over summer break. Our goal: permanently break down any barrier to children receiving daily nutrition.
Our Impact
95,456 more kids
ate school lunch daily (2024 vs 2019)
School Meals
Inspiring kids to stay full & eat at school
Well-fed kids have better focus, better health, and better academic outcomes. Through our work with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, we help schools with their breakfast programs, and encourage student participation in school meals.
In collaboration with schools, our work in 2024 gave 291,751 children access to school breakfast.
Summer Eats
School’s out, free meals are in
When the school year ends, the child nutrition safety net of school breakfast and lunch ends too. Summer Eats, run in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, helps fill this gap by continuing to provide free meals to all kids and teens, 18 and under, across the state.
Your Impact
Summer Eats Makes Kids’ and Teens’ Dreams Come True
Project Bread’s supporters made it possible to award 48 grants, totaling $236,000 to Summer Eats providers to support staffing, equipment, packaging, promotional materials, and activities for kids to enjoy along with nutritious and filling meals. All totally free-of-charge for kids and teens during summer break.
Focusing on nutirition
Improving Meal Quality in Child Nutrition Programs
To fuel student success through school nutrition, we are an active, year-round, and hands-on partner to school districts. Working in tandem, we improve the quality of meals provided to children through the National School Lunch & Breakfast Program and Summer Eats.
Our team conducted trainings and classes for 723 school nutrition staff across 8 districts in school year 2024-25, awarding a total of 889 professional development hours to participants.
Your Impact
How School Breakfast Fuels Student Success
Project Bread's supporters plays a pivotal role in advocating for and supporting school breakfast programs across MA. Enjoy these stories of how your helping schools make breakfast an integral part of the school experience.
Over the past 14 years, thanks to our donors and partners, we've made significant progress in breaking down the barriers that prevent kids from having breakfast at school. As the statewide partner to school meal providers, we've closely collaborated with school districts to expand access to and participation in the historically underused National School Breakfast Program. We've supported schools in implementing Breakfast After the Bell, tailored breakfast programs to better meet students' needs, advocated for breakfast to be included as part of the school day, and led the campaign to make school meals free for all students in Massachusetts. As a result, the number of kids eating breakfast daily in October has increased by 53% since 2010.
“Working with Project Bread has really helped elevate our food service program. After our partnership ends, they’ll leave our school with successful recipes and the pride of being able to cook wonderful food for our children.”
April Liles, Project Bread Community Nutrition Services Partner, Food Service Director, Waltham Public Schools