Find a program / Free summer meals for kids / Rhode Island
Rhode Island · summer 2026 (last summer)
Free summer meals for kids in Rhode Island
81 summer meal sites in 12 Rhode Island cities and towns, run by 12 sponsors, from USDA's Summer Meals Site Finder. 1 offer meals to go and 80 are eat on-site.
These are last summer's sites
Need food for your kids now? Call the USDA National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479), Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern, or check the official USDA Summer Meals Site Finder. The list below is the summer 2026 season, which ended on September 30, 2026. These sites are not listed as open now, and the dates and meal times are from last summer, not a schedule for this year or next summer. Sites for the next summer are usually announced in the spring.
SUN Bucks (Summer EBT) in Rhode Island
According to USDA, Rhode Island took part in SUN Bucks (also called Summer EBT) in 2026. See how to apply on USDA's Rhode Island Summer EBT page. USDA's page was last updated August 14, 2026. To take part, a state or Tribe needs an approved plan from USDA, and each decides again every year. Check the current list on USDA's site for next summer.
Cities with the most summer meal sites
Largest sponsors in Rhode Island
- Providence City of 46 sites
- Pawtucket Public Schools 9 sites
- Cranston Public Schools 6 sites
- East Providence Recreation 4 sites
- Central Falls, City of 3 sites
- CentralFalls, City of 3 sites
- Newport Public Schools 3 sites
- W. Warwick Public Schools 2 sites
- Westerly Public Schools 2 sites
- Central Falls Schools 1 sites
All cities A–Z
More for Rhode Island families
Licensed child care and after-school programs in Rhode Island · Youth and community nonprofits · Rhode Island rules for child care and camps
Questions families ask
Who can eat at a summer meal site?
USDA says its summer meal programs serve meals and snacks at no cost to children 18 and younger. Sites marked "Open to all kids" are open sites in USDA's data, meaning they welcome children from the community. Sites marked "Open with limits" are open to the community but can limit who attends, for example for safety or space. Hours change, so call the site before you go.
What does "Eat on-site" or "Meals to go" mean?
Eat on-site means meals and snacks are eaten at the site. Meals to go means they can be picked up and eaten somewhere else; some sites hand out more than one day at a time.
When are summer 2027 sites announced?
Sites for the next summer are usually announced in the spring, after sponsors apply to their state agencies. Until then this page shows last summer's list as a guide to which towns and sponsors ran sites. The official place to look is the USDA Summer Meals Site Finder.
Is this the same as SUN Bucks?
No. SUN Bucks, also called Summer EBT, is a separate USDA program that gives eligible families a benefit on a card. Summer meal sites serve meals to kids directly. Your state may offer one, both or neither.
Run a summer program in Rhode Island?
BackPR is a software company and does not run these meal sites. It is free for registered nonprofits: online registration, payments, waivers, attendance and messages to families. No subscription and no BackPR fee on what families pay.
See the free nonprofit plan · Summer camps · Free forms and templates