WHEREAS for over two months every year, schools close their doors for summer vacation. As a result, thousands of children in Idaho who depend on school meals to meet a substantial amount of their daily nutrient needs do not have the opportunity to participate in the school nutrition programs. This lack of access to basic nutrition is most pronounced among the Nation’s poorest children, who frequently have no alternative to school meals.

        WHEREAS to remedy this situation, Congress established the Simplified Summer Food Program to ensure that children can continue to receive nutritious midday meals at school playgrounds, parks, camps and other sites where they traditionally gather when they are on summer vacation. Moreover, Congress specifically targeted the administration of this program to sites located in poor areas, defined as areas where at least 50 percent of the children are eligible for free or reduced price school meals.

        WHEREAS unfortunately, far too few children take advantage of this vital program. Despite being targeted to poor areas, the program serves fewer than 18 percent of the children who receive free and reduced price meals during the school year. To address this situation, the Idaho State Department of Education has been actively working to increase the number of eligible schools, community and faith-based organizations, and other sponsors who offer the program to their communities. These efforts include making significant reductions in the paperwork associated with administering the program through the Simplified Summer Food Program.

        WHEREAS as part of this initiative, the State of Idaho has designated the week of June 4-10, 2006, as Summer Food Service Week and is issuing a proclamation formally observing this event. The purpose of this observation is two-fold. First, the State of Idaho wishes to recognize the important efforts of those organizations already sponsoring summer meal programs. Second, the State of Idaho wishes to heighten public awareness of the benefits of summer meals for poor communities and to encourage additional eligible sponsors to participate.

        NOW, THEREFORE, I, DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Governor of the State of Idaho, do hereby proclaim June 4-10, 2006 to be

S U M M E R   F O O D   S E R V I C E   W E E K

in Idaho, and I urge all citizens to pursue healthy eating habits to establish early nutritional practices.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Idaho at the Capitol in Boise on this ninth day of January in the year of our Lord two-thousand and six and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred thirtieth and of the Statehood of Idaho the one hundred sixteenth.

BEN YSURSA
SECRETARY OF STATE