Northwest Arkansas schools serving meals free to kids this summer

NWA Democrat-Gazette/DAVID GOTTSCHALK Egypt Goings (left), 4, enjoys lunch Monday with neighborhood children provided by the Fayetteville Public Schools' Purple Dog Food Truck at the American Legion post on Curtis Avenue in Fayetteville. The American Legion location is the new third location for the food truck that will provide a lunch to those 18 and younger. Northwest Arkansas school districts begin their free summer food service programs for kids this week.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/DAVID GOTTSCHALK Egypt Goings (left), 4, enjoys lunch Monday with neighborhood children provided by the Fayetteville Public Schools' Purple Dog Food Truck at the American Legion post on Curtis Avenue in Fayetteville. The American Legion location is the new third location for the food truck that will provide a lunch to those 18 and younger. Northwest Arkansas school districts begin their free summer food service programs for kids this week.

FAYETTEVILLE -- School's out for summer, but school districts aren't taking a break when it comes to feeding kids.

Bentonville, Fayetteville, Siloam Springs and Springdale were among the districts launching summer meal programs Monday. Rogers begins its program next Monday.

School summer food programs

BENTONVILLE

Breakfast will be served from 7:30 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. and lunch will be served 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday until July 26 (except July Fourth) at Jones Elementary School, 500 S.E. 14th St.; and today through Aug. 9 at Bentonville High School, 1801 S.E. J St.

Lunch only will be provided at the following sites and times:

• Bentonville Public Library, 405 S. Main St., 11 to 11:45 a.m.

• Delmar Apartments, 1316 S.E. Moberly Lane, 11 to 11:45 a.m.

• Moberly Place Apartments, 1600 Phyllis St., noon to 12:45 p.m.

• Helping Hands, 2602 S.W. D St., noon to 12:45 p.m.

FAYETTEVILLE

Lunch will be served Monday through Friday through Aug. 6 (except July Fourth) at the following sites and times:

• Holt Middle School, 2365 N. Rupple Road, 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• American Legion Post 27 parking lot, 1195 Curtis Ave., 10:30 to 11 a.m.

• Yvonne Richardson Community Center, 240 E. Rock St., 11:30 a.m. to noon

• Fayetteville Public Library, 401 W. Mountain St., 12:30 to 1 p.m.

ROGERS

Breakfast will be served from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and lunch will be served 11 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday, June 10 through July 31 (except July Fourth) at the following sites:

• Heritage High School, 1114 S. Fifth St.

• New Technology High School, 2922 S. First St.

• Rogers Activity Center, 315 W. Olive St.

Lunch only will be provided at the following sites:

• Mathias Elementary School, 1609 N. 24th St. (11 to 11:45 a.m.)

• Crossroads Learning Center, 305 N. Second St.

Mobile sites and approximate times:

• Doubletree Apartments pavilion, 601 W. Easy St., 11 to 11:30 a.m.

• Southwind Apartments near mail pavilion, 2202 N. 12th St., 11:15 to 11:45 a.m.

• Professional Learning Center, 2100 W. Perry Road, 11:15 to 11:45 a.m.

• Westbrook Apartments, 2300 W. Persimmon St., 11:30 a.m. to noon

• Fairway Apartments, 2900 N. Dixieland St., 11:30 a.m. to noon

• Meadow Park Apartments, 840 N. 16th St., 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

• War Eagle Day Camp, 2609 N. Storage Parkway, noon to 12:30 p.m.

• Eighth Street Motel, 915 S. Eighth St., 12:15 to 12:45 p.m.

• Community Clinic, 1233 W. Poplar St., 12:30 to 1 p.m.

• Ozark Guidance, 2003 S.E. Walton Blvd., Bentonville, 11 a.m. to noon

SILOAM SPRINGS

Lunch will be served Monday through Friday through Aug. 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the following sites:

• Allen Elementary School, 1900 N. Mount Olive St.

• Siloam Springs Middle School, 600 S. Dogwood St.

Mobile sites and approximate times:

• Spring Valley Gazebo, 751 Arkansas 16, 11 a.m.

• Eliana Chacon Park, 228 E. Lake Francis Drive, 11:30 a.m.

• Bob Henry Park Pavilion, Benton Street, noon

• Siloam Springs Public Library, 205 E. Jefferson St., 12:30 p.m.

SPRINGDALE

Breakfast will be served from 8:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. and lunch will be served 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., except where noted, at the following sites. Service is Monday through Friday (except July Fourth); dates vary by site.

• Kelly Middle School, 1879 E. Robinson Ave. (July 8-26)

• Lee Elementary School, 400 Quandt St. (July 15-26)

• Monitor Elementary School, 3955 E. Monitor Road (July 15-26)

• Sonora Middle School, 17051 U.S. 412 East (today-June 14)*

Lunch only will be provided at the following sites:

• Bayyari Elementary School, 2199 Scottsdale St. (today-Aug. 2)

• Elmdale Elementary School, 420 N. West End St. (today-June 28)

• George Elementary School, 2878 S. Powell St. (today-Aug. 2)

• Har-Ber High School, 300 Jones Road (today-June 21)

• Jones Elementary School, 900 S. Powell St. (today-June 28)

• Parson Hills Elementary School, 2326 Cardinal Drive (today-Aug. 2)**

*- Breakfast is served 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.; lunch is served noon to 1 p.m.

**- Lunch is served noon to 1 p.m.

Source: Staff Report

Those districts are offering a free lunch -- and in some cases, breakfast -- at multiple sites on weekdays for those who are 18 and younger. There's no residency requirement.

Fayetteville's main lunch location this summer is Holt Middle School on North Rupple Road, about 2 miles north of last year's site at Owl Creek School. A major plumbing project in Owl Creek's kitchen this summer prompted the move, said Ally Mrachek, Fayetteville's child nutrition director.

The district also is distributing lunch through its bulldog-decorated food truck for the second year at three other sites: the Yvonne Richardson Community Center, Fayetteville Public Library and the American Legion Post 27 parking lot.

Mrachek was pleased with how the program's first day went. She estimated the district served 300 kids Monday, including about 30 at the American Legion post, a new location this year.

"It was awesome," she said. "I think just at the mobile sites we served 100 kids. As word gets out about them, I think the numbers will grow."

A new twist this year is the state Health Department will follow the food truck around every Friday and set up fun, physical activities for kids at each of the truck's stops. Friday also will feature free slushy drinks, Mrachek said.

In Rogers, breakfast and lunch will be served at three buildings; two other buildings will be lunch only. Rogers also will hand out lunches at eight other locations, including four apartment complexes.

Rogers served between 1,000 and 1,200 meals per day last summer, about 700 of which were at the mobile sites, said Margie Bowers, the district's food services director.

"We put the hot meals on the truck and keep them hot," Bowers said. "We try to bring the truck around if there's a picnic area or someplace for kids to sit. Otherwise, we put out our own tables. It takes a lot of effort and a lot of planning. But it meets a need, and it's very apparent what the need is when you follow that truck around."

The district also accepts donations, which officials use to buy food to give adults they encounter at the sites. The U.S. Department of Agriculture pays for the summer food program for kids, but not for adults, Bowers said.

"Some are homeless, some are elderly, some handicapped," she said. "There are a lot of grandparents watching their grandkids during the summer. We try to address that need as well."

Another component of Rogers' program is it partners with the district's Rolling Readers program. At several of the mobile sites, district volunteers bring books to give to children as meals are being served to encourage kids to read, Bowers said.

Springdale has three sites -- Bayyari, Parson Hills and George elementary schools -- that are open through Aug. 2 for lunch. Several other schools are offering lunch for shorter periods to coincide with camps and activities happening during those times, said Gena Smith, the district's child nutrition director.

Bentonville is serving breakfast and lunch at both Jones Elementary School and Bentonville High School, a new site for the program.

Kids also can pick up sack lunches at one of four Bentonville sites at particular times each day. One of those sites is the Bentonville Public Library, a new one this year. Lunch will be distributed from 11 to 11:45 a.m. at the library.

"They have a lot of traffic in and out at that time," said Mary Denny, Bentonville's nutrition service manager.

NW News on 06/04/2019

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