How to Get Summer Food PSAs on Your Local Radio Station

Most kids cannot wait for school to let out in June.  However, for some parents and other caretakers, when school is out for summer, they begin to worry about how they will feed their children a nutritious breakfast or lunch.  USDA's Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) fills this summer meal gap for many low-income families by feeding children when school meals aren’t available.  Although USDA funds SFSP, local organizations all over the country make the program work by becoming sponsors that serve nutritious meals and snacks at schools, recreation centers, playgrounds, parks, churches, day camps, summer camps, housing projects, and Indian reservations.

To help get the word out that the program is available to school-age children and in need of more sponsors, we’ve created free radio public service announcements (PSAs) that you can air in your community. There are 4  under 30 second PSAs to choose from— 2 that focus on recruiting summer meal sponsors and volunteers and 2 that let families know where they can go to receive summer meals.

We’re asking folks to please download the PSAs and provide them to your local radio station to play for free. Here are the links:

• PSAs to recruit sponsors and volunteers to serve summer meals - #1 / #2
• PSAs to tell families where they can get free summer meals - #3 / #4

Now you may be asking, "How can I get my local radio station to play a PSA?"  Well, here are some instructions that you can follow:

1. Look up radio stations in your area by going to radio-locator.com.
2. Pick some stations that you always listen to and contact their public affairs director or station.
3. Some stations post details about PSA submissions on their websites.  However, if they don't you can ask the station's public affairs staff the following questions:
   1. How should I submit a PSA - via e-mail or regular mail?
   2. What format should it be in?
   3. Do you require the transcript?
   4. Will one of your DJs read the PSA or will you just play the recording?
   5. When will the PSA be aired and for how long?
   6. Follow the radio station's instructions.  If all goes well, sit back, relax, and listen for the Summer Food PSA to be played.

The Food and Nutrition Services’ primary mission is to fight hunger in our nation’s communities, but we can’t do it without your help.  For more information on how you can promote SFSP by using our PSAs please send an email to getinvolved@fns.usda.gov.

Remember, it’s never too soon to start advertising the summer food service program!