Outside the classroom

Here’s where Shelby County families can find free meals and snacks this summer

By 
Melissa Brown
and
Thomas Wilburn
 | June 16, 2025, 9:43pm UTC
A student wearing a pink shirt and a blue backpack carries a tray of food with a sandwich, orange, milk and yogurt.
A network of groups in Shelby County are pitching in to help feed local students who may be missing out on regular school meals during the summer break. (Getty Images)

Sign up for Chalkbeat Tennessee’s free newsletter to keep up with statewide education policy and Memphis-Shelby County Schools.

For the first time in five years, many Shelby County families are missing out on supplemental grocery cash this summer after Tennessee stopped participating in a federal program that served the entire state.

In Shelby County, a network of organizations with the Memphis-Shelby County Schools summer feeding program are serving meals and offering food pick-ups for students who are without school meals during the summer break. But the dates those sites are up and running, their opening times, and the meals offered vary widely.

Chalkbeat Tennessee built this map to help you find convenient food pickup locations this summer. Be sure to click the blue dot on the map to confirm a location’s opening and closing times.

The Latest
Federal judge recommends dismissing Colorado school districts’ suit on transgender athletes’ rights

District 49, a conservative-leaning district near Colorado Springs, spearheaded the lawsuit last spring.

By 
Ann Schimke
 | January 16
IPS school board member Allissa Impink announces candidacy for Senate District 46

If Impink is elected, the remaining IPS school board members would need to appoint someone to fill the role of District 4 commissioner.

By 
Amelia Pak-Harvey
 | January 16
Your 2 minutes is up: Denver school board may consider easing limits on public comment at meetings

By Chalkbeat’s count, the number of people who sign up to speak at public comment has plummeted since the board put time limits in place.

By 
Melanie Asmar
 | January 16
Q&A with Emmy Liss: NYC’s new head of child care shares her vision for the city’s youngest kids

Liss helped build the city’s Universal Pre-K program. She talked to Chalkbeat about the lessons of that rollout and her plans to make child care available to all.

By 
Abigail Kramer
 | January 16
Education bill tracker: What did Indiana lawmakers file for 2026?

Indiana legislators are advancing bills banning food additives and phones from schools.

By 
Aleksandra Appleton
 | December 8, 2025
Chicago school board elections and budget issues: What we’re watching in 2026

2026 will bring fresh budget issues and school board elections in Chicago, while Illinois leaders may have to grapple with a significant loss in federal child care funding.

By 
Reema Amin
 | January 16