| Popis: |
Background The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides free meals to youth during the summer months. Open meal sites are particularly important for addressing food insecurity, because they are located in low-income areas and meals are available to any child who visits. Many challenges affect participation and program administration. Research describing the perspectives of open site coordinators, who carry out the program in the community, is limited. Objective To gather feedback from SFSP open site coordinators in Wake County, North Carolina to improve program implementation. Study Design, Settings, Participants A 23-question survey was administered electronically in Fall 2018 to capture experiences from the previous summer. Of 41 open site coordinators (representing 47 sites), 18 (representing 23 sites) consented to complete the survey. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Questions explored recruitment efforts, perceived obstacles to participation, activities offered, perceived child satisfaction with food offered, and site strengths, challenges, and areas for improvement. Quantitative questions were summarized using descriptive statistics. Open-ended questions were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Site coordinators used a variety of strategies to attract participants, but flyers and face-to-face interactions were most common. Transportation was viewed as the major barrier to participation. Sites offered a range of activities, including academic engagement, physical activity, and health promotion. Most respondents felt children were satisfied with the food, but more “kid-friendly” and hot meals were desired. Program successes included building strong relationships with families and meeting an observed need in the community. Challenges included adverse weather and unpredictability of attendance. Areas for improvement included addressing transportation barriers and increasing outreach and community partnerships. Conclusion These findings shed light on the perceptions of SFSP open site coordinators, whose insights can guide program improvement and identify strategies for outreach, youth engagement, and community support. Site coordinator surveys can strengthen local food security efforts and contribute to a greater understanding of the day-to-day experience at open meal sites. Funding North Carolina State University. |
Full Text from ScienceDirect