Free lunch for all kids
Arlington ISD is connecting children 18 and younger and enrolled students with disabilities up to 21 years old with healthy, free summer meals. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition program administered in the Lone Star State by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). For the children who rely on school meals during the academic year, these meals offer a source of good nutrition when school is out for the long summer vacation.
“Our students need good nutrition year-round,” said David Lewis, Arlington ISD executive director of Food and Nutrition Services. “With nearly 78% of our students under-resourced, these healthy meals are vital to nourishing students during their summer vacation. This summer we are excited to announce that we are again partnering with Arlington city libraries and Arlington YMCAs to bring healthy meals alongside their enrichment programs.”
See the list of meal sites and times, and check back throughout the summer for updates and changes to the sites and times. Please visit the website before traveling to one of our summer meal sites.
Arlington ISD is one of the nonprofit organizations partnering with TDA to serve meals across Texas. Families are encouraged to use these two tools to find a meal site anywhere in the state:
· Call 2-1-1
· Visit SummerFood.org for an interactive site locator map
Organizations partner with TDA to serve meals in areas where more than 50% of children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals in the National School Lunch Program. Eligible sponsoring organizations include schools, faith-based groups, nonprofit summer camps, government agencies and other tax-exempt organizations. All meal sites must be sponsored by an organization that has a contract with TDA.
(Photo by Ronaldo Bolaños – published in The Shorthorn)