Published: May 26, 2009 04:55 pm      

Free meals for kids this summer

Parents welcome to eat at reduced cost

Galen Scott

gscott@weatherforddemocrat.com

Three campus locations will be dishing it up for this year’s Weatherford ISD Summer Meals Program.

Any person under 18 years of age, regardless of where they reside, is eligible to receive a free breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria at Hall Middle School, Bill Wright Elementary School or Crockett Elementary School.

Adults are welcome to eat, too, at a reduced cost of $1.50 for breakfast, or $3 for lunch.

Walk-ups, daycares and church Bible schools are also invited to participate.

The program, sponsored by state and federal agencies, was designed to ensure a consistent nutritious diet remains available to children who rely on school meals.

“As of the end of April, we provided almost 600,000 lunches this year and a little over 160,000 breakfasts,” said Jerolyn Goodman, a registered dietitian and WISD’s director of child nutrition. “The government realizes some of those kids probably aren’t getting as much nutrition during the summer, depending on their circumstances.”

Summer school students make up the bulk of the between 200 and 300 students per campus who are expected to take advantage of the program. However, Goodman is also encouraging other children to participate.

“We really hope to reach more than just the students that are in summer school,” Goodman said. “I could envision up to 500.”

The district is trying to publicize the program as much as possible this year, given the economic downturn.

“We want people to know it’s out there and there is nothing to qualify for,” she added. “You just show up and there is no paperwork.”



Dates, times, and locations for the WISD Summer Meals Program:

Breakfast - 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Lunch - 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

June 3 - July 2 (Wright campus cafeteria)

June 9 – 25 (Hall campus cafeteria)

June 1 - Aug. 7 (Crockett campus cafeteria)