Summer Feeding Program at Lima City Schools Is Under Way

The school year may be coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean that the work of our schools are done. The need for good nutrition through meals and snacks continues throughout the summer for our children and for some in our community, healthy and nutritious meals are not easy to come by. This is where the Summer Food Service Program comes into play. The program is run through the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service agency. In short, this program provides an opportunity for children to continue essential growth and development with nutritious meals during long vacation periods from school. The sites operate in low-income areas where at least half of the children comes from families with income at or below 185 percent of the Federal poverty level, making them eligible for free and reduced price school meals. The meals and snacks are free of cost to children under the age of 18.

This summer, the Lima City Schools are hosting lunch sites throughout the community. As of June 12, 2017 lunch service is under way at Heritage, Independence, Liberty, South and Unity Schools. Service time is Monday through Thursday from 11:00am to 12:30pm. There are no meals Friday, Saturday or Sunday. The sites will be closed July 3rd and 4th. The lunch schedule will continue through the summer, ending on August 3, 2017. Summer lunch guidelines include:
Free meals are only available to children under the age of 18
Free meals are not available to adults
All meals must be eaten “on site” and leftovers may not be removed from the eating area
One meal per child
Free meals are only served at the above school locations during the time listed

These summer meals follow the same healthy meal planning guidelines and food components would be provided during the school year. This includes proteins, grains, fruits, vegetables and milk. Foods with minimal nutritional value are not included.

Lima City Schools are pleased to be able to offer this service to the community and hope to serve many meals to our children at each of their sites this summer. If you, or someone you know would benefit from this free meal service, please pass the information along and take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. While summertime is most definitely a time to play, relax and take a break from the routine of school, it is also a time to remember to eat right. Nutrition is and should be a priority for our community kids and thanks to this wonderful program, many will be able to continue to make nutrition a priority all summer long! If you have questions or need more information, including an application for weekend meals, please contact Carrie Woodruff, Director of Food Service, at 419-996-3449.