FORT SMITH, Ark. — Kids look forward to summer break every year, and many depend on school to get a regular hot meal.
Various school districts throughout Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley will be providing meals to kids under 18 throughout the summer.
Director of Nutrition for Fayetteville Public Schools Amy Jefferson said starting on June 3, the school district will be offering free lunches at various locations throughout the city.
“It’s just very important that children get meals throughout the summer,” Jefferson said. With food insecurity at a high rate right now and with the high cost of groceries, it helps parents to know they can feed their children lunch for free, Monday through Friday.”
Jefferson added that hundreds of people get their meals from this program every day during the summer.
“It has a big impact on the community,” Jefferson said. “We do three local food truck sites, as well as the school. We feed about 500 a day throughout the summer and we're expecting probably about the same this summer between all the sites combined.”
According to Jefferson, you do not need to be a student to take advantage of the program.
Jefferson said that during the school year, around 37% of the districts’ 10,500 students take part in the free or reduced-rate lunch program.
The Fort Smith Public School district offers a similar program.
Child Nutrition Coordinator Tim Regan said the district expects around 1000 people a day to use their free summer lunch program, across 12 locations in the city. Fort Smith’s free summer meals begin June 3.
During Fort Smith’s regular school year, Regan said 72.65% use the district's free or reduced rate program.
Jefferson added that this program is much needed and provides a way to bring the family together.
"You could walk up to the truck and we will happily greet you,” Jefferson said. “You and your child can sit and eat on site. It's a nice event for parents that are looking for something to be able to do with their child that doesn't cost a lot of money."
The following list (organized north to south) was compiled from data gathered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service. To see their interactive map, click here.
Locations that offer free summer meals for minors:
Bella Vista
- Boys & Girls Club of Bella Vista
Gravette
- Gravette Elementary School
Bentonville
- Sugar Creek Elementary
- Boys & Girls Club of Benton County
- Bentonville High School North
Rogers
- Reagan Elementary
- J Mathias Elementary
- Grace hill Elementary
- Oakdale Middle School
- Northside Elementary
- Lingle Middle School
- Boys & Girls Club of Benton County
- Tillery Elementary
- B Grimes Elementary at Elmwood
- Arkansas Arts Academy
- Eastside Elementary
- Russel Jones Elementary
- Old Wire Elementary
- Lowell Elementary
Gentry
- Gentry Intermediate School
Siloam Springs
- Allen Elementary
- Siloam Springs Middle School
Fayetteville
- John L Colbert Middle School
- American Legion
- Yvonne Richardson Community Center
- St. James Missionary Baptist Church
Farmington:
- Folsom Elementary
Lincoln:
- Lincoln High School
- Lincoln Middle School
- Lincoln Elementary
Van Buren:
- Van Buren Housing Authority
- Tate Elementary School
- First Baptist
- Freedom Park
- Blakemore Field
- The Backyard
- Boys & Girls Club of Van Buren
- Freshman Academy
Fort Smith
- Ballman Elementary
- Barling Elementary
- Beard Elementary
- Fairview Elementary
- Howard Elementary
- Morrison Elementary
- Raymond Orr Elementary
- Park Elementary
- Spradling Elementary
- Sunnymede Elementary
- Sutton Elementary
- Tilles Elementary
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