In Wichita

June 1 marked the beginning of the Federal Summer Meals Program in Wichita. More than 34,500 children receive free and reduced priced meals during the school year because of their family income falling at or below 185% of the poverty level. Free meals are also available in the summer, but getting hungry kids to the table is much harder without daily busing and with most schools closed.

In the past, about 6 percent of Wichita children who qualify participated in the federfal summer meals program in Wichita. That low participation rate contibutes to Kansas coming in 49th in the nation in terms of percentage of kids fed in the summer.

To enure that more of the neediest kids have access to free meals this summer, the Kansas Food Bank teamed up with the Wichita Community Foundation and Wichita Public Schools. As a result, this year free summer meals will be served at 40 locations around Wichita, up from 26 sites last year.

To get the word out, each location has a 3′x8′ ft. banner placed out front, like the one shown here in front of Jackson Elementary.  And over Memorial Weekend, volunteers from seven Wichita churches will walk high-need neighborhoods, distributing information about where children may go for nearby free meals. For a full map of summer food locations and meal times in Wichita, click here. 

Outside of Wichita

The Federal Summer Food Program is now operating in several dozen Kansas communities, providing free summer meals to children. For a complete list of locations, click here. Unfortunately, many rural communities are not eligible for this program because it is only offered in areas where more than 50% of children qualify for free and reduced lunches during the school year. In these areas, local civic groups and congregations are encouraged to find out about hungry children in your community and consider sponsoring free meals.