Hey parents! Are you looking for a place to take your kids to get a balanced breakfast or lunch free? Well the Free Summer Food Program is back at Oxford Elementary, located at 109 S. Pontiac Street.
The federally funded program, known as ‘Meet up & Eat Up,? kicked off June 8 and will run until August 31. The program is Monday-Friday, breakfast is from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and lunch 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The program is available for all children 18 years and under, as well as individuals up to age 26 who are enrolled in an educational program for the mentally or physically disabled that is recognized by a state or local public educational agency.
‘There are no applications, any (child) is qualified to be able to come in and eat breakfast and lunch,? said Karen Bissett, director of Nutrition Services for Oxford Schools. ‘If the parent wants to eat they can buy a breakfast or lunch for $3 to eat with their children.?
All the meals will follow the school nutrition guidelines. For breakfast there is an assortment offered such as a cereals, bagels, mini pancakes, yogurts, string cheese, muffins, fresh fruits and milk. For lunch Bissett said ‘it’s the kids? favorite items.?
‘Mini corndogs, chicken nuggets or tenders and pizza (just to name a few,?) she said. ‘This summer we’re going to do some cookouts. I just bought a grill, so we can do hamburgers and hot dogs.?
The program was a huge success last year, according to Bisset.
‘Last year we were hitting over 100 meals a day,? she added. ‘We had one father who walked his kids down everyday for lunch. They would go for a bike ride and he said that was a good break that got them out of the house.?
Another new thing they’re doing this year is giving away 10 bikes and helmets via raffle.
‘We’re going to pick a week (to give the bikes away) and if they eat lunch they’ll get a ticket,? Bisset said. ‘So they need to be popping in and out for lunch, to know what week it’s going to be.?
Bisset also said there are numerous open sites across the state, so if a family is traveling on vacation they can stop at any of those sites to get breakfast or lunch free for the kids. The map is available at www.michigan.gov.
According to a press release on the State’s website, ‘The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) was established to ensure that low income children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session.?
‘It’s a great opportunity for kids and our community, (having this program,)? she said.
For questions or more information call Karen Bissett at 248-969-5120.