Summer Meals for Kids Are Still Available
During summer vacation, many children feel the absence of the meals they were able to get at school. Summer food programs, either locally funded or supported by the USDA, offer ways for kids to gather and get meals, sometimes just lunch, sometimes breakfast as well. USDA-sponsored programs serve children 18 and under, and there are no income or residency requirements. Kids can eat at the site closest to where they live or spend their days.
For an interactive map of available sites across the United States, including the counties in the UWKV service area, visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sitefinder.
Summer food program information for Topeka Public Schools sites can also be found at https://www.topekapublicschools.net/cms/One.aspx?portalId=8252843&pageId=22205983.
Feeding Eudora
Feeding Eudora provides free and nutritious meals for the entire community. They strive to ensure equity, inclusion and a sense of belonging for all, and they collaborate with community partners to yield positive community connections, one meal at a time. UWKV Community Navigator Laura Smith and UWKV AmeriCorps member Carson Krehbiel are part of the team bringing Feeding Eudora to life this summer.
Feeding Eudora is not a typical summer food program. School-based programs that use USDA funding can only serve youth 18 and under and are only available for schools with 50% or more of students who receive free or reduced-price school lunches. Feeding Eudora feeds everyone who needs a meal. Community volunteers coordinate the program, and meals are provided every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 1 pm in June and July. Read more about this grassroots program in this Eudora Times article.
