This summer, the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas is partnering with the Arkansas No Kid Hungry Campaign and local organizations to help ensure that children have access to free meals.
More than 300,000 kids in Arkansas receive free or reduced-price school meals, but during the summer months many of those kids are at risk of not getting nutritious meals.
Food bank CEO Jeff Quick says that the summer meals program fills a vital need for children across north central Arkansas.
Quick says, “One in three children across our region struggle with access to healthy foods throughout the year, but have an even more limited access to food in the summer when school breakfast, lunch and backpack programs are not available. The Food Bank is pleased to serve as a sponsor for seven summer meal sites this summer, building on out success last year where we were able to provide approximately 15,000 meals to children.”
Children do not have to register or present identification to eat a meal at any of the participating sites.
Two of those sites in Mountain Home are the L.C. Sammons Youth Center and the Donald W. Reynolds Library.
The summer meal program at the youth center started Wednesday and will continue weekdays through Aug. 17, with meals being offered from 11 a.m. until noon.
Meals will be offered at the library from 11 a.m.-noon on Saturdays beginning Saturday and continuing through Aug. 14.
To find participating sites in your area, call 1-866-3-HUNGRY, and a live operator will provide the caller with a list of sites in the caller’s neighborhood based on the zip code they provide. Alternately, you may text FOOD to 877 877 to receive a list of nearby sites that will be returned by text.
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