Summer is here and local school divisions are doing their part to keep children fed.
According to the USDA, food insecurity rises during the summer when 30 million children in the U.S. lose access to the meals they receive at school. In Virginia, 14% of children under the age of 18 live in households that experience food insecurity at some point during the year. To combat that, two SUN Meals programs are offered to children in Virginia.
The annual Summer Nutrition Programs for Kids program offers meals and snacks during summer for children 18 and under. It is funded through the USDA in coordination with school divisions, including both Orange and Madison County Public Schools. Some sites opt to provide meals on-site while others opt for to-go meals.
In Orange County, children can enjoy breakfasts and lunches Monday through Thursday onsite 8-8:15 a.m. for breakfast and 11:15-11:30 a.m. for lunch at Gordon-Barbour, Lightfoot, Unionville and Orange Elementary Schools, Locust Grove Primary, Locust Grove and Prospect Heights Middle Schools and Orange County High School as well as the Taylor Education Administration Complex (TEAC) through June 19. From June 23 to July 24, breakfast and lunch will be available Monday through Thursday at Gordon-Barbour Elementary School, Locust Grove Primary School, Orange County High School and TEAC.
In addition, families can pick-up weekend bags of meals and snacks each Thursday, 12-12:15 p.m. at Gordon-Barbour, TEAC and Locust Grove Primary. A four-day meal kit will be provided Wednesday, July 2, with facilities closed July 3-4 for the holiday.
The program ends July 24.
In Madison, drive-through meal distribution with seven days of breakfasts and lunches is provided for children 18 and under through the same summer nutrition program. Pickup is every Tuesday through July 29, 2-6 p.m. at Wetsel Middle School. A parent or guardian must be present to receive the meals. In addition, each family participating in the program will receive an item or items from the Farm to School Initiative, including a recipe. Produce is being provided by 5 Rider’s Farm for the first five weeks of the program.
Additionally, school-aged children in Virginia whose families receive SNAP, TANF, FDPIR or certain other income-based benefits are automatically enrolled to receive SUN Bucks. The program helps eligible families with the cost of groceries during summer break by providing a one-time $120 payment for eligible children via the family’s EBT card or a pre-loaded SUN Bucks card.
For more information, visit https://virginiasunbucks.com/.
