Summer is often associated with freedom from school and classwork and a time for vacations, being with friends and family and spending time at the swimming pools or lake.
But for some students it means fewer meals. That’s where Community Kitchen of Monroe County, along with Monroe County Community School Corp. and RBB Edgewood schools try to keep students fed.
Here’s a list of summer food service options for youth.
Community Kitchen Summer Food Service
Last summer Community Kitchen provided more than 10,000 lunches, 3,000 breakfasts and 5,000 snacks for kids through the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Indiana Department of Education Program.
Tim Clouger, assistant director, said he anticipates serving even more food this summer due in part to the upcoming changes in SNAP (food stamp) benefits.
As in the past 20-plus years, Community Kitchen staff and volunteers will prepare and serve the meals to youth age 18 or younger at 10 different neighborhood stops around the city. The program is anonymous and there are no requirements for kids to receive a nutritious lunch Monday through Friday at any of the locations, Clougher explained.
In addition to the 10 locations, Community Kitchen also will offer meals and snacks at the Crestmont/Ferguson Boys & Girls Club, The Rise, Girls Inc., New Hope for Family shelter and the Lincoln Street Boys & Girls Club for youth enrolled in the program.
Anyone who wants to help can contact volunteer coordinator June Taylor at 812-332-0999.
The 10 locations and times for distribution are:
Route 1 (Monday through Friday)
Route 2 (Monday through Friday)
For more information, call 812-332-0999.
Edgewood Eats
Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corp. is offering free USDA summer meals this summer to students. Free meals are given to any child who can eat solid food up to the age of 18. Only one meal will be given to each child at each session.
Breakfast will be available:
Lunch will be available:
Noon-12:25 p.m. Monday through Thursday, June 1-18, at Edgewood Intermediate School and Edgewood Primary School
Noon-12:15 p.m. Monday through Friday, May 27-July 24, at Ellettsville Boys & Girls Club (closed site)
Noon to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, June 15-18, at Edgewood Primary School
The school offers a summer meal pick-up, too. Each student enrolled in the program will receive five breakfasts, five lunches and one gallon of milk. To enroll, go online and fill out the form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGf635jou1mWV4uxY5ZHi-8jmUrWLrL-cYkatZPh2dh2E5ZA/viewform. After filling out the form, the youth must be present the first week to receive food throughout the summer. The first pickup will be 4:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 3, at Edgewood Primary School, in the back of the building. The program will run June 3 through July 22. There will be no services June 17.
The meals will be packaged in bags and boxes. Meal kits are available for anyone age 18 or younger.
People enrolled in this program cannot be receiving other USDA summer meals at other locations, including RBB Food Truck, Boys and Girls Club, summer school, summer camps, daycare and Head Start.
Monroe County Community School Corp.
MCCSC will host a summer food service program site at Fairview Elementary, 500 W. Seventh St. Children 18 years old and younger are invited to participate. Meals are available at no cost and registration is not required. Meal serving times are subject to change.
The program runs June 1-25. There will be no service June 17.
Breakfast will be available 9-9:15 a.m. Lunch will be 1-1:20 p.m. Pick-up location will be Door 12, at the elementary school’s cafeteria.
People can also find local meal site information by using the USDA Meal Site Finder online at https://www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp/sitefinder or by calling the Hunger Hotline operated by Hunger Free America. The hotline can be reached 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1-866-348- 6479 for English or 1-877-842-6273 for Spanish.
Contact Carol Kugler at ckugler@heraldt.com.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Community Kitchen, schools provide ways to keep kids fed in the summer
Reporting by Carol Kugler, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
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