Summer Food Program starts June 1

School might be almost out for the summer, but food will still be served in many cafeterias across Yuma County.

That’s because the Summer Food Program is about to get underway in Yuma County. This year’s program runs from June 1 to July 28, said Jamie Walden, student nutrition director for the Yuma Union High School District, which oversees and sponsors the program in Yuma County.

The program was established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to feed underserved students through the summer months.

Last year, the program served more than 62,728 meals, Walden said.

There are no income requirements and children need only be under age 18 to munch for lunch (or breakfast or snack), Walden said. Adult lunches cost $3.

This year, there are 27 sites across Yuma County, and some sites will serve both breakfast and lunch, and some will serve lunch and a snack.

The migrant student “lunch and book mobile” will also be in transit to seven different sites, Jessica Mickish told the YUHSD board at its May meeting.

In 2016, 6,000 meals were served from the mobile unit, Mickish said. More than 250 books were checked out and that number doesn’t include the books that were read on the bus while students ate.

Walden said that she again applied for several grants to raffle prizes to draw students to different sites, and that several local businesses have stepped up to sponsor sites.

“Between all the school districts, we got together and put out an ad, and really tried to make sure that we had a site to cover every area,” Walden said, who starts planning for the program early in the spring. “I think we’re doing a great job being able to work together to provide meals to kids all over the county.”