Feed More and the Virginia Department of Social Services are expanding efforts to fight food insecurity among children and teens during the summer break.

Feed More has launched its annual Summer Food Service Program, offering free weekday breakfast and lunch to youth 18 and under throughout the Richmond region and Tri-Cities area. No registration is required, and meals are available on a first-come, first-served basis at approved locations. The program began this week and is designed to support families whose children may lack regular access to meals outside of the school year.

Last summer, Feed More distributed more than 31,000 meals through the initiative. This year, a list of participating meal sites is available and updated throughout the season at FeedMore.org/summer.

Feed More serves 34 counties and cities in Central Virginia through more than 380 distribution partners. It is a member of Feeding America and Meals on Wheels America.

In addition to local meal service, the Virginia Department of Social Services is relaunching Virginia SUN Bucks, a summer grocery benefit program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service.

Beginning in July, qualifying families will receive a one-time $120 per-child benefit to help purchase groceries when school meals are unavailable. Families already enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will receive SUN Bucks on their existing EBT cards, while others will be mailed a separate SUN Bucks EBT card.

The benefit can be used to buy eligible food items at grocery stores, farmers markets and other authorized retailers.

“We are proud to have Virginia SUN Bucks as a resource in our ongoing efforts to reduce food insecurity and help families achieve greater self-sufficiency,” said James Williams, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services.

In its 2024 pilot year, Virginia SUN Bucks reached more than 713,000 children, with nearly 550,000 enrolled automatically. This summer, children will be automatically enrolled if they received free or reduced-price meals during the 2024-25 school year, or if their households already participate in SNAP, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or an income-based Medicaid program.

Families who are not automatically enrolled but believe they qualify based on income can apply for benefits. A printable application is available at virginiasunbucks.com, or families can apply by phone from July 1 to Aug. 30 by calling 866-513-1414 weekdays from 9:15 a.m. to 6 p.m.

More information also is available at virginiasunbucks.com.