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closeSummer lunch programs abound
Sumner School District and Bonney Lake Food Bank offer free meals to children throughout the summer month
Roxanne Cooke
Hot dogs, tater tots shaped into smiley faces and cartons of milk filled lunch trays at Daffodil Valley Elementary last Thursday.
The school year may be over, but children 18 or younger can still stop by the cafeteria between 11:15 a.m. and noon to grab a free lunch — no applications or qualifications necessary. This year, they can visit Daffodil Valley in Sumner or Liberty Ridge Elementary in Bonney Lake through the summer lunch program.
The addition of a second school to the Sumner School District’s program is probably good news to the parents who have requested it for some time now, said district spokeswoman Ann Cook. The USDA, which funds most of the program, requires that at least 50 percent of a school’s students must qualify for the free or reduced lunch program. Students from any school can pick up lunch there, though.
“We have to house the program at a school that meets the requirement,” Cook said.
Before this year, Daffodil Valley was the only eligible school in the district — 52 percent of its students are eligible for free or reduced lunch.
“The need has been here a long time,” said Karen Frank, director of Child Nutrition Services.
Liberty Ridge now meets that criterion, which is a big move because Bonney Lake contains the majority of the district’s student population, Cook said.
So far this summer, Daffodil Valley has averaged 260 meals served each day while Liberty Ridge averages 85 meals a day, an impressive number for a new location, Frank said.
“I didn’t know what to expect with a brand new site,” she said.
Last summer, the program fed approximately 200 each day.
Children can also grab a free breakfast, lunch or supper at a number of Bonney Lake parks this summer through a similar program provided by the Bonney Lake Food Bank. It’s called the “Simplified Summer Food Program” and is also funded almost entirely by the USDA.
Both programs offer free meals to children younger than 18 and are geared toward low-income families. No applications are necessary to be served. Parents can eat with their children, but must pay for their own lunch. A combination of volunteers and paid workers organize and run the programs.
On average, the Bonney Lake Food Bank serves 200 meals each day at five sites and numerous feeding times, compared to 100 served per day last summer, said Pastor Stew Bowen, director of the food bank.
“Part of the reason that we decided to continue it is we are into serving the community and this is a way to serve the children of our community with a meal that might not otherwise have a meal,” he said. “It started a long time ago. It keeps growing.”
Some families don’t have the necessary resources to feed their children lunch through the summer, Cook said. Most families who come to the school sites for lunch come every day.
The program is one of the vital links between school and the community, Cook said. Without proper nutrition, children aren’t focused and have difficulty learning.
“They can’t learn,” Frank said. “They’re distracted.”
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SIMPLIFIED SUMMER FOOD PROGRAM
The Bonney Lake Food Bank offers free breakfast, sack lunches and supper to children under 18 at several parks in Bonney Lake through Aug. 29. No applications necessary.
> Breakfast: 7:30-8:30 a.m. at Allan Yorke Park
> Lunch: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Cedarview Park, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Ponderosa Estates, 12-1 p.m. at Rhododendron Park and 12:30-1:30 p.m. at Prairie Ridge Park.
> Supper: 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Allan Yorke Park
For more information, call the Bonney Lake Food Bank at 863-4043.
SUMMER LUNCH PROGRAM
From now to Aug. 22, the Sumner School District offers free hot lunch to children under 18 at Daffodil Valley Elementary, 1509 Valley Ave., Sumner, and Liberty Ridge Elementary, 12202 209th Ave. Court E., Bonney Lake. No applications necessary.
> Lunch: 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
For more information, call Sumner School District Child Nutrition Services at 253-891-6450.