Dishing it out, no excuse for hunger

Free meals for anyone 18 or younger

Alachua Elementary School Food Service Worker Omeshia Wright serves up lunch at the school on Wednesday.  Wright estimates that 300 or more children in the Alachua/High Springs area are being served each day through the Summer Meal Program.

Schools across the county are offering free meals to all children 18 years old or younger, regardless of family income.  Funded by the federal government and known as the Summer Meal Program, the twice-daily servings are being provided at 28 schools in Alachua County.

Both breakfast and lunch are being served during the summer months through the Alachua County Public Schools Food and Nutrition Department. The program started Monday and is running through July at many of the participating schools according to School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) officials.

A child need not even be enrolled at the school to qualify for the meals.  The only requirement is that the child be 18 years old or younger and show up with their name and a telephone number to register.

“Families can take their children to the site that’s most convenient for them,” said Maria Eunice, director of the district’s Food and Nutrition Department.

“All they need to do is register their child the first day they come, and all they’ll need to register is the child’s name and a phone number.  Then they just show up during the serving times and enjoy a nutritious meal,” she said.

Alachua Elementary School Food Service Worker Omeshia Wright served more than 70 youngsters Wednesday.  Some of those served were part of a summer program, others were attending summer school, but involvement in a school program or activity is not required to receive the meals.

Wright estimates that some 300 or more children in the Alachua/High Springs area are being served each day.

Early each morning, Wright and food service workers from other nearby schools meet at Irby Elementary where they prepare and package hundreds of breakfasts and lunches.  Each of the workers then takes the meals to their respective schools and serves them.

The Summer Meal Program has been likened to the National School Lunch Program offered during the school year.  The summer program aims to provide nutritionally balanced meals to all children regardless of race, color, sex, disability, age, or national origin, according to school board officials.

The program is only approved for geographical areas of need, defined as areas where 50 percent or more of the children qualify for free and reduced price meals during the school year.

Even after registering for meals at one school, families may switch to another school simply by re-registering at the new site the first day they go to that location.

A complete list of sites along with dates and times can be found at www.acpsfood.com.  Parents wishing to obtain more information about the Summer Feeding Program may also call 352-955-7539.

Meal sites, dates and times for Alachua County’s outlying communities:

Alachua Elementary: Monday-Friday, 6/13-7/22 (closed 7/4); breakfast 7:30-8:15, lunch 11:30-noon

Archer Community: Monday-Thursday, 6/13-7/28 (closed 7/4 & 7/5); breakfast 7:30-8:15, lunch 11:30-noon

Hawthorne High: Monday-Thursday, 6/13-7/28 (closed 7/4 & 7/5); breakfast 8:30-9, lunch noon-12:30

Irby Elementary: Monday-Thursday, 6/13-6/30; breakfast 7:30-8, lunch 11:30-noon

Mebane Middle: Monday-Thursday, 6/13-7/28 (closed 7/4 &7/5); breakfast 7:30-8, lunch 11:11:30

Newberry Elementary: Monday-Friday, 6/13-7/22 (closed 7/4); breakfast 7:30-8, lunch 11:30-noon

Newberry High: Monday-Thursday, 6/13-6/30; breakfast 8-8:30, lunch 11:30-noon

Shell Elementary: Monday-Thursday, 6/13-6/30; breakfast 7:45-8:15, lunch 10:30-11

Waldo Community: Monday-Friday, 6/13-7/22 (closed 7/4); breakfast 7:30-8, lunch 11-11:45