KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Hickman Mills C-1 School District will be offering free breakfast, lunch and supper during the summer.
Nutrition Services Director Grennan Sims said it's a big need for this district.
"During the school year, we serve about 10,000 meals a day, but our kids are still hungry in the summer. So, just because school's out doesn't mean kids don't still need to eat," Sims said. "Here at Hickman Mills, we have an at-risk population which basically means we have a high population we know are food insecure ."
Sims has been with the district for 21 years, and has seen the need grow over the years.
"When I started in the district about 20 years ago, there was less than 50 percent of our kids that qualified for what we called free and reduced meals," Sims said. "Since then, we've grown to 86 percent and now all of our kids qualify for free meals, not because they themselves do, but because we participate in a special program in the school year called the community eligibility provision."
Because the district has a high population that is impoverished, Sims said the district is able to offer meals to students free of charge.
The free meals are not just for students of the district, but anyone age 18 and younger.
"The reality is there's a lot of food insecurity in the area and certainly in the U.S. today and we feel it's our obligation as a school to make sure that we are providing one of those basic needs, which is food," Sims said. "We know that a hungry child cannot perform to the best of their ability so we need to do our part to make sure we're providing their needs."
Funding for the program comes from the USDA.
Here's a list of locations and times these meals will be provided:
- Ervin Early Learning Center – 10530 Greenwood Rd, Kansas City, MO 64134
Breakfast: 8:00-8:30 am; Lunch: 12:30-1:00 pm; Supper: 4:15-4:45 pm
- Johnson Elementary – 10900 Marsh, Kansas City, MO 64134
Breakfast: 8:00-8:30 am, Lunch: 12:15-12:45 pm; Supper: 4:15-4:45 pm
- Millennium at Santa Fe Elementary – 8908 Old Santa Fe Rd, Kansas City, MO 64138
Breakfast: 8:00-8:30 am, Lunch: 12:00-12:30 pm; Supper: 4:15-4:45 pm
- Smith-Hale Middle School – 9010A Old Santa Fe Rd, Kansas City, MO 64138
Breakfast: 8:30-9:00 am, Lunch: 12:45-1:15 pm; Supper: 4:15-4:45 pm
- Hickman Mills Freshman Center – 9010B Old Santa Fe Rd, Kansas City, MO 64138
Breakfast: 8:30-9:00 am, Lunch: 12:00-12:30 pm; No supper available at the Freshman Center
For more information about specific serving times, call (816) 316-7104 or click here.
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