From June 16 to August 20, children aged 18 and under will again be offered free meals.
Kalispell Public Schools will offer breakfast and lunch at various locations in Kalispell and Evergreen. No registration, proof of income or ID is required to participate.
Meals are served by either a blue, red, or white food truck on weekdays, depending on the location.
The Summer Food Service Program aims to ensure that teenagers from low-income families and neighborhoods receive nutritious meals when school is not taking place. The school district receives federal and state reimbursement for the number of meals served.
For more information, write “Summer Meals” to 97779.
The following are the places and times that breakfast and lunch are served:
Empty lot next to Old Navy, 2250 US 93, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Evergreen Junior High, 20 W. Evergreen Dr., 11 am to 11:15 am
Sunset Park, on Three Mile Drive in Sunset Court, 11 am to 11:15 am
Empire Park, on Three Mile Drive on the Empire Loop, 11:20 am to 11:35 am
Sheriff’s Posse Building, Shady Lane Roller Rink, 11:20 am to 11:35 am 11
Hedges Elementary, 827 Fourth Ave E., 11:40 am to 11:55 am
Northridge Park, Northridge Drive, 11:40 a.m. to 11:55 a.m.
Elrod Elementary, 412 Third Ave. W., 12:00 p.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Lawrence Park, 1105 North Main St., 12:00 p.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Begg Park, 57 Begg Park Drive, 12:20 p.m. to 12:35 p.m.
Peterson Elementary School in Meridian Park, 12:20 p.m. to 12:35 p.m.
Hawthorne Park, Hawthorne Avenue, 12:40 PM to 12:55 PM
Washington Park, Washington Street, 12:40 p.m. to 12:55 p.m.
In addition, further financial aid is available to give children who live in food insecure households access to critical nutrition in the summer months by expanding the services of the pandemic electronic power transfer (P-EBT).
In April, US Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., Announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will use funds from the U.S. rescue plan to expand benefits.
Under the P-EBT extension, any child entitled to free or discounted meals during the school year, or under the age of 6 and living in a household participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is eligible for food assistance.
“The coronavirus crisis has made it harder for Montana families to keep food on the table, and the summer months are often the toughest because kids aren’t getting nutritious meals at school,” Tester said in a press release. “This critical program – funded by the American Rescue Plan – will help Montana children keep their bellies full, stay healthy, and develop through the remainder of the pandemic, giving families much-needed security.”
The P-EBT program was launched in March 2020 to provide families with money to buy food and make up for missed meals when schools closed due to COVID-19. The program was due to expire on September 30, 2020 and offered no support in the summer.
“P-EBT will have real and lasting effects on the health, development and wellbeing of our children for the years to come,” said Lorianne Burhop, chief policy officer of the Montana Food Bank Network. “It was a difficult year with increased hunger rates and food insecurity across Montana.”
If a household is eligible for P-EBT and has not received benefits by June 11, or for more information, call the Montana Department of Health and Human Services at 1-888-706-1535 or send an email Mail to hhshcsdpebt@mt.gov.
