Free summer meals program: Breakfast, lunch for anyone 18 and under

“It’s very positive news that summer meals have been reaching more children”, said Tamara Sandberg, Kentucky Association of Food Banks. These meals help children in low-income areas get the nutrition they need to learn, play, and grow throughout the summer months when they are out of school. “We want families to have access to food through the summer months and this allows us to be able to provide breakfast and lunch to these kids”.

Leadership by the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been a key factor in increasing participation in the summer nutrition programs.

Just because school is out doesn’t mean children can’t get the same free or reduced-cost meals they rely on all school-year long.

Free lunches and afternoon snacks will be offered to this population until August 13 every weekday at more than 70 different locations that serve youth. In 2015, there were more than 66,000 meal sites across the country serving more than 190 million meals.

“We’re super excited about this natural partnership with the school district to feed our children over the summer”, she said. Libraries, day care centers, and housing developments have become popular locations for summer meal sites, providing enhanced services to children and families in locations they already frequent.

A typical breakfast consists of a protein, grain, milk and fruit and may be mini cinnamon pancakes, assorted cereal, graham crackers, milk, fresh fruit, cupped fruit or 100 percent fruit juice.

“We know that more must be done, and thousands of hard-working volunteers, community leaders and public agencies continue to step up to promote and expand summer meals programs”, said Hamler-Fugitt. Not only do children benefit from the free meals, but they also benefit from the enrichment activities that keep them learning and engaged. That equates to nine children receiving summer meals for every 100 that ate lunch during the regular school year.

For information, visit 211.org or palmbeachshools.org or call 211 to find a location.