The annual AmeriCorps Summer Program is a short-term, intensive ten-week community service program to directly support anti-poverty efforts on the Plateau, focusing on alleviating child hunger and reducing summer learning loss. 

Since 2016, Sewanee: the University of the South has hosted the South Cumberland Summer Meal Program to provide meals to children and youth ages 2-18 at community partner sites in Franklin, Marion, and Grundy counties. This large-volume, regional distribution of no-cost, healthy meals is made possible through a partnership between Sewanee Dining and the South Cumberland Plateau (SCP) AmeriCorps programs. This partnership helps to meet food availability needs during the summer months of June and July – a crucial time frame for food insecurity on the South Cumberland Plateau, when the ‘safety net’ of K-12 school-year meals are not in place and child hunger rates typically rise. SCP AmeriCorps members are essential to successfully implementing the summer meal program.

When not distributing meals, AmeriCorps members serve various functions with the many nonprofits, social services, and governmental agencies across the Plateau region. In collaboration with AmeriCorps and our community partners, address a variety of needs: designing and leading youth and young adult educational activities, creating outreach materials for nonprofits, assisting with research on topics related to community development and poverty alleviation, engaging in community education events, resource fairs, community gardening, affordable housing repair and construction, and more. 

University of the South’s Office of Civic Engagement Celebrates Summer Meal Program Success

The University of the South’s Office of Civic Engagement is celebrating the success of its 2025 Summer Meal Program, which provided critical nutrition to children and families in Grundy and Franklin Counties. Over the course of eight weeks, the program distributed more than 92,000 meals, made possible through federal support from the Summer Food Service Program and AmeriCorps funding.

“We are especially grateful that funding for both the AmeriCorps program and the Summer Food Service Program remained available this summer,” said Mandy Bouldin, Director of Community Development at the University of the South. “These programs are vital to the health and well-being of our local communities.”

The initiative was powered by a team of 20 AmeriCorps service members, who worked in partnership with the University’s McClurg Dining Hall staff and a network of community host sites across the Plateau. Together, they ensured that thousands of children had consistent access to healthy meals during the summer break.

“This program is a true example of collaboration,” Bouldin said. “We could not have reached this scale without the tireless work of our AmeriCorps service members, the dedication and expertise of the McClurg Dining Hall staff, and the generosity of our host sites, who welcomed families week after week. Their combined efforts made this summer a tremendous success.”

The Summer Meal Program has been a cornerstone of the University of the South’s commitment to community engagement, addressing food insecurity while also providing meaningful service opportunities for young leaders through AmeriCorps.

Becoming a Member

The summer program runs from May 20th to July 28th, 2025. It begins with a two-week orientation with a virtual option. Meal distribution runs from June 3rd to July 28th. This full-time summer volunteer opportunity pays a stipend totaling $3,000. Members who complete the entire program also receive an education award of $1,565.08, which can be used to pay current, past, or future student tuition or qualified loans. Anyone age 17 & up is welcome to apply, including high schoolers, college students, and community members.

Partner with us for summer!

Partner with Us This Summer – Request AmeriCorps Assistance!

As we prepare for the upcoming season, we're excited to offer AmeriCorps support to community organizations like yours through our South Cumberland Plateau AmeriCorps Program. Whether you're planning events, running youth programs, organizing food distribution, or coordinating special initiatives, our AmeriCorps members are ready to lend a hand and help make your summer efforts even more successful.

If you anticipate needing extra help this summer and would like to request no-cost AmeriCorps support, please take a moment to complete our brief request form linked below.

Meal Distribution Site

Interested in being an access point for children to access no-cost nutritious meals this summer? Apply to become a Meal Distribution Site at the form below! 

Stay Connected

Check out our facebook and instagram pages for more information on weekly menus, distribution locations and other Summer meal updates.