With the end of the school year at hand, some students and parents will be seeking options for summer nutrition. Local sites designated by the United States Department of Agriculture may offer a solution.
The USDA Summer Food Program will be available from June 25 through mid-August at multiple local sites and will offer free, nutritious meals and snacks to children and some adults in need of them.
The meals will be served under USDA nutritional guidelines and children 18 and younger may receive free meals and snacks through the program. Persons with disabilities, over age 18, who participate in school programs for people who are mentally or physically disabled may also be eligible.
Local sites included in the USDA list this summer will be Poulsbo Elementary School, Opal Robertson Teen Center, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal Kitchen & Gym, East Port Orchard Elementary School, Orchard Heights Elementary, Port Orchard Library, Sidney Glen Elementary School and Van Zee Park.
Ariane Shanley, Food and Nutrition Services Director for South Kitsap School District, said the program follows the same standards set for school lunches.
“We follow nutritional guidelines set up by USDA,” she said. “Our sites will offer salad bars and are set up for nutritious meals.”
Shanley said lunch would be served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Orchard Heights, Sidney Glen and East Port Orchard elementary school locations with activities from noon to 1 p.m.
She also said sack lunches will be served Wednesdays only from 11:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. June 20 through Aug. 15 at the downtown gazebo and Wednesdays only from 12:15 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Van Zee Park from July 9 through July 13 and July 16 through July 20. For more information contact Shanley at 360-443-3664.
Mamie Rand, coordinator for the summer food program at the Opal Robertson Teen Center, said the center will offer primarily hot meals and will be open every day of the week except Saturday.
Rand said the center will offer activities and tutoring and mentoring services as well.
“It is another supportive service we offer to families in Bremerton,” she said.
Rand said the center will serve breakfast from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday and 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 am Sunday. She said lunch would be served from noon to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays. For further information on the program or other events at the center, contact the center at 360-479-2648.
For other local meal times, or for more information on the program, contact the USDA program hotline at 866-348-6479 or 877-842-6273 for information in Spanish.
