Each summer, the Kent School District provides thousands of meals to children, some of whom may not get a lunch otherwise.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Since 1992, the school district has offered the summer meals program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cWe are just glad to be able to do this,\u201d said Lynne Mayer, supervisor for the Kent School District\u2019s summer meal program. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of kids in Kent who eat meals at schools at either no cost to them or low cost to them. Once the school year is over, they don\u2019t have a lunch. We have parents that call our office saying, \u2018I have kids who get free lunch during the school year. What can I do for them during the summer?\u2019 We can refer them to a site that is in their area.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n The district serves about 1,800 lunches each weekday for free to children under the age of 18 at 38 sites throughout Kent and surrounding communities.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Sites include schools with summer school programs, low-income apartment complexes and parks where the city of Kent Parks Department offers summer programs.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Several schools also serve breakfast.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n The lunches include offerings such as sandwiches, wraps or salads. Monday\u2019s menu was a muffin, string cheese, yogurt, a nectarine and choice of chocolate or regular milk.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cWe have tried to change the menu a little this year to make some things more interesting for kids,\u201d Mayer said.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n The program employs 33 employees in Kent, including kitchen staff, drivers and site supervisors. At about half the sites district employees distribute the meals, Mayer said.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cSome of the sites, like the other park department sites, they have parks department staff that do programs for children,\u201d she said. \u201cWe provide training for them, so they actually serve the meal there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n The district added a few new sites this year, including Lake Meridian Park. Mayer approached the parks department about using the location.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cI have known about this park and knew there were a lot of kids that play on the playground, and on warmer days, there\u2019s a lot swimming,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n The site has been well utilized, so far, said Joshua Clark, who serves meals at the site.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cI think it is going to get better as soon as we get more swimmers coming around,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve probably averaged about 50 kids a day. We probably have three or four families that we see normally.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Clark, who works as a warehouse driver for the district\u2019s Nutrition Services Department during the school year, said he enjoys being out in the community and interacting with children during the summer.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a nice location,\u201d Clark said of Lake Meridian Park. \u201cMy office has a good view. It is fun to see the kids when they receive their lunch. They just smile.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n