MUSC to provide summer meals through Kids Eat Free program

Kids Eat Free at MUSC is providing free, healthy meals for children at multiple locations across South Carolina this summer. Since its inception in 2015, this initiative has been a cornerstone of MUSC's commitment to addressing food insecurity in our communities. Over the past decade, MUSC has served over 69,000 meals, providing essential nutrition to children and teens during summer breaks.

The following MUSC locations are open to all children 18 years and younger, Monday through Friday, with service dates and hours varying by site. MUSC does not require financial verification of need, but minors must be accompanied by guardians. Visitors, siblings or community members who meet this age requirement, regardless of their purpose at MUSC, can be served.

*This site is designated as congregate, and meals should be consumed on-site.

Kids Eat Free at MUSC is part of the federally funded, state-administered Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which provides reimbursement to approved locations that serve free, healthy meals to children and teens in low-income areas during the summer months when school is not in session. 

The meals provided at Keith Summey Medical Pavilion are sponsored by the Lowcountry Food Bank’s Summer Lunchbox Program and are not part of the SFSP program.

Those interested in volunteering or learning more about Kids Eat Free at MUSC can contact Laura Nance in the Office of Community Engagement.

###

About MUSC Children’s Health

MUSC Children’s Health is changing what’s possible for children and their families by providing the pediatric clinical and research expertise every child deserves. From promoting healthy lifestyles to offering life-saving treatments, MUSC Children’s Health delivers comprehensive and compassionate care to children throughout South Carolina and beyond.

MUSC’s integrated children’s health care system consists of the 250-bed  Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital (SJCH) and Pearl Tourville Women’s Pavilion located on the Charleston peninsula, which opened in February 2020; the Charles P. Darby Research Institute where research teams conduct widely-published pediatric studies discoveries that change how care is provided; and the R. Keith Summey Medical Pavilion in North Charleston, which offers an ambulatory care and surgery center, specialty care and after-hours clinics. MUSC Children’s Health also offers an expanded depth and breadth of expertise in multiple locations throughout the state, providing primary, urgent and specialty care in person or via telehealth. 

To provide the best care for children of South Carolina now and in the future, Children’s Health puts the needs of patients and their families first. This intentional approach aligns with the emerging national best practice of offering children’s ambulatory and specialty services within local communities and the delivery of more acute care at a major flagship hospital. As a result, families can more easily access the specialized pediatric care they seek. For more information, visit musckids.org.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the State or local Agency that administers the program or contact USDA through the Telecommunications Relay Service at 711 (voice and TTY). Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 9410, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.