Summer Meals Summit
Thursday, December 5
11:00 am - 3:15 pm Eastern on Zoom
Discover how your organization can advance access to healthy meals for communities when school is out of session by participating in USDA summer meal programs. Through SUN Meals (Summer Food Service Program - SFSP), not only can children ages 0-18 enjoy free meals and snacks at schools, parks, and local sites all summer long but there are now opportunities to serve those in rural areas with non-congregate feeding solutions. Hear from community members on the ground about their experience and get their advice on how to start or improve your experience as a sponsoring organization or service site. Learn the basics of the program and get resources to transform summer nutrition in your neighborhood and help ensure no child goes hungry when school is out.Â
Earn up to 4.5 hours of Continuing Education!
Registration includes on-demand viewing through December 12, 2024*
Non-Member Pricing:
$69 Standard Registration
$99 Late Registration After November 27
ScheduleÂ
All times are Eastern. Schedule is subject to change.
11:00 am - 11:30 am | SUN Kickoff: Launch Your Summer Meal Program
11:45 am - 12:45 pm | USDA SUN Meals Overview & Q&A
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | Hear, Ask, Learn: SUN Meals To-Go: Rural Non-Congregate Meal Service
2:15 pm - 3:15 pm | Hear, Ask, Learn: SUN Meals: Congregate Meal Service
Meet the Speakers
Brianna Fleming
Child Nutrition Program Manager, Central Texas Food Bank
Brianna is a fierce advocate for helping underserved and diverse communities receive necessities, including nutrition, healthcare, and housing resources. She has worked in the Child Nutrition realm for five years and has ample experience with CACFP, SFSP, College Hunger, School Pantry, and Weekend Backpack programs.
Tanuja Kulkarni, MS, MPH, RD
Nutritionist, USDA Food and Nutrition Service
Donna Martin, EdS, RDN, LD, SNS, FAND
Director of School Nutrition Program, Burke County School District
Donna is responsible for the school nutrition of 4,500 students in five schools, serving breakfast, lunch, afterschool snacks, supper and summer meals. She served as Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ President in 2017-2018 and was the first school nutrition director to be president of the Academy. Donna is a graduate of the University of Georgia, has a master’s degree from the University of Alabama – Birmingham, and has an education specialist degree from Augusta University.
Brendia Moses, CMP, CCNP
Community Resource & Wellness Director, KCEOC Community Action Partnership
Brendia has dedicated her life to serving Southeastern Kentucky, focusing on hunger relief and poverty support. At KCEOC Community Action Partnership, she manages programs like the Summer Food Service, At-Risk Afterschool Program, and VITA, ensuring children, families, and seniors receive essential services. A leader in her community, Brendia holds multiple awards and was recently named Knox County’s Woman of the Year.
Jocelyn Moss, MA, CMP, CCNP
Senior Program Director, YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh
In her role, Jocelyn oversees childcare centers and at-risk after school programs in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. She brings a fresh perspective, with experience as a provider and now working on the administrative side of the CACFP. Jocelyn is passionate about child nutrition education and ensuring children have access to healthy and nutritious meals. She holds a BS in Exercise Science and an MA in Higher Education.
Kenya Pennington, MA
Program Analyst, USDA Food and Nutrition Service
Kenya has over 10 years of experience at the USDA FNS. In this time, she has acquired substantial knowledge about child nutrition policy, in addition to developing regulations that outline the administrative requirements of USDA’s CACFP and SFSP. Kenya earned both her Bachelor of Science and her Master of Arts in Teaching from James Madison University.
Jennifer Perry
Director of Operations, The Open Door
Jennifer oversees all hunger-relief and distribution programs, culinary and nutrition services, and client services of The Open Door. Since beginning her employment at The Open Door in 2005, Jen has filled many roles during that time including Community Meals manager, volunteer coordinator, and Summer Food Service Program manager. She graduated from Regis College with a BA in Sociology and worked for a social policy research group at Brandeis University for several years before coming to The Open Door. Senior health is an area of interest for Jen, and she is the vice-chair for the Council on Aging member for the town of Rockport and sits on the Age and Dementia Friendly Steering Committee for Cape Ann. Jen is a board president for Backyard Growers and is a past board treasurer. She is also an Ipswich Rotarian and volunteers in her community regularly.
Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD
Nutrition Education Specialist, National CACFP Sponsors Association
Isabel develops nutrition education materials and provides informational webinars on nutrition to support stronger program operations. She has a strong background and passion in working with low-income communities of various cultural backgrounds, while working on graduate research projects and working in the nonprofit, food banking environment for eight years. Isabel has an MS in Nutritional Sciences and is a registered dietitian and nutritionist.
Alexia Thex, MEd
Director of Policy & Partnerships, National CACFP Sponsors Association
Alexia is charged with expanding NCA’s advocacy on policy matters and advancing the mission and interests of association members and stakeholders while forming mutually long-term, beneficial partnerships with corporations and organizations fitting the mission of NCA. Through her career in development, Alexia has also raised funds for Downtown Houston YMCA, the Holocaust Museum Houston and schools her children attend. She has a MEd in Exercise Physiology from the University of Texas.Â
Ashley Walterbusch
Program Director, Ottawa County Family Advocacy Center
Ashley has been at the Ottawa County Family Advocacy Center for six years and serves in an instrumental role in supporting all of the organization's programs. This past summer, she and her team provided over 200,000 meals to her community via pick-up at 9 different locations throughout Ottawa and Wood counties through the non-congregate service model.
Programming
11:00 am - 11:30 am | SUN Kickoff: Launch Your Summer Meal Program
It’s time to get started with a SUN program in your area! Identify the resources and information you need to participate in a USDA Summer Meal program and learn why getting involved makes a difference. Take your first step towards making a lasting impact for children in your community next summer.Â
Presented by: Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, National CACFP Sponsors Association
CEU: 0.5 | Specialty: 8
11:45 am - 12:45 pm | USDA Sun Meals Overview & Q&A
Planning for summer meal service? Join USDA for an overview of both congregate (SUN Meals) and rural non-congregate (SUN Meals To-Go) options. Get your questions answered as you prepare your plans for next summer. Â
Presented by:
Tanuja Kulkarni, MS, MPH, RD, USDA Food and Nutrition Service
Kenya Pennington, MA, USDA Food and Nutrition Service
Hear, Ask, Learn
Learn best practices and common pitfalls from community members experienced in providing summer meals. Listen to insights, challenges, and strategies to help you succeed in launching or improving your program participation. Bring questions and walk away with practical advice and the information you need to make the most of your summer meal program. Â
- 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm | SUN Meals To-Go: Rural Non-Congregate Meal Service
- Panelist: Brianna Fleming, Central Texas Food Bank
- Panelist: Donna Martin, EdS, RDN, LD, SNS, FAND, Burke County School District
- Panelist: Ashley Walterbusch, Ottawa County Family Advocacy Center
- Moderator: Alexia Thex, MEd, National CACFP Sponsors Association
- CEU: 1.0 | Specialty: 8
- 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm | SUN Meals: Congregate Meal Service
- Panelist: Brendia Moses, CMP, CCNP, KCEOC Community Action Partnership
- Panelist: Jocelyn Moss, MA, CMP, CCNP, YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh
- Panelist: Jennifer Perry, The Open Door
- Moderator: Alexia Thex, MEd, National CACFP Sponsors Association
- CEU: 1.0 | Specialty: 8
ON DEMAND | SFSP Overview
Don’t know what SFSP even means? Are you brand new to child nutrition food programs? Do you run one program and are thinking about sponsoring another? Learn how this food program provides healthy food access for children in child care, afterschool, out-of-school time and during summer.Â
Presented by: Isabel Ramos-Lebron, MS, RDN, LD, National CACFP Sponsors AssociationÂ
CEU: 1.0 | Specialty: 8
Watch for email confirmations and event access instructions in late November. Add nca@cacfp.org and nca@cacfp.org to your safe email sender list so our communications don't get lost in your spam or junk filters.