Where to find summer meal programs for students in the Midlands
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Starting in June, multiple school districts across the Midlands will provide free meals to any child aged 18 or younger.
Summer meal programs are crucial to combatting child hunger, especially in South Carolina.
According to the nonprofit organization Feeding America, 678,710 people are facing hunger in South Carolina, including 197,310 children. Their data also shows that 1 in 6 children face hunger in the Palmetto State.
The AAA State of Play says South Carolina has one of the highest percentages of children dependent on free school lunches at 62%, the fourth-highest rate in the country.
Here are Midlands school districts that are serving free lunch throughout the summer:
Richland One
Richland One will provide free meals to any child age 18 or younger, regardless of their school district attendance zone, through the federally-funded Seamless Summer Option.
From June 3 through July 18, meals will be available for children Monday through Thursday at 29 school sites throughout the district. Breakfast will be served from 7:45 – 9 a.m., and lunch will be available from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. All meals must be eaten on-site.
Students participating in Richland One’s Summer SOAR programs and camps will be fed at one of the 29 locations. Non-program participants are encouraged to receive breakfast and lunch daily at the four sites listed below, but they also may receive meals at any of the other locations:
· Carver-Lyon Elementary School (2100 Waverly Street, Columbia, SC 29204)
· St. Andrews Middle School (1231 Bluefield Road, Columbia, SC 29210)
· Eau Claire High School (4800 Monticello Road, Columbia, SC 29203)
· Lower Richland High School (2615 Lower Richland Blvd, Hopkins, SC 29061)
Five days’ worth of student meals will be available for parents/guardians to pick up on June 10, June 17, and July 29. Ten days’ worth of meals will be available for pick-up on June 24, June 27, and July 11. All meal pick-ups will take place from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the bus loops at the following locations:
· Forest Heights Elementary School (2500 Blue Ridge Terrance, Columbia SC 29203)
· Webber Elementary School (140 Webber School Road, Eastover SC 29044)
To sign up to pick up meals for your children, click here.
Richland Two
Richland Two is serving free meals for youth in need of food in the summer. Breakfast and lunch will be provided Monday through Thursday for children aged 18 and under at schools across the district. The meals must be consumed on-site at the serving locations. Richland Northeast High and Bridge Creek Elementary schools will also offer Friday meals in June. July sites will be released in late June. Serving times and dates vary by location and are listed below.
June - Breakfast and Lunch
The following schools will serve meals in June 2024 starting on June 3: Bethel-Hanberry Elementary, Bookman Road Elementary, Bridge Creek Elementary, Jackson Creek Elementary, Joseph Keels Elementary, Kelly Mill Middle, Killian Elementary, L.W. Conder Elementary, Polo Rd. Elementary and Windsor Elementary
The following schools will serve meals in June 2024 starting on June 10: Blythewood Academy, Catawba Trail Elementary, Dent Middle, Forest Lake Elementary, Lake Carolina Elementary - Lower, Lake Carolina Elementary - Upper, Langford Elementary, Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary, Muller Rd. Middle, North Springs Elementary, R2i2, Richland Northeast High, Round Top Elementary, and Sandlapper Elementary
Richland Northeast High and Bridge Creek Elementary will serve meals on Fridays in June.
Lexington Two
Lexington Two has announced the hours and locations for this summer’s federally funded child nutrition program that provides free, nutritious breakfast and lunch meals through the months when youth are out of school.
The Summer Food Service program makes meals available free for children ages 18 and younger. They are eligible to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch, per day, at the specified locations and times below. Children must be present, and meals must be consumed on-site.
Airport High School
Where: 1315 Boston Ave., West Columbia
When: Monday-Thursday, June 3-July 17 (closed July 1-5)
Meals: Breakfast, 7:15 a.m.-7:45 a.m.; lunch, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Brookland-Cayce High School
Where: 1300 State St., Cayce
When: Monday-Thursday, May 28-August 1 (closed July 1-5)
Meals: Breakfast, 8 a.m.-9 a.m.; lunch, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Cayce Elementary School
Where: 515 Bulldog Blvd., Cayce
When: Monday-Thursday, July 15-25
Meals: Breakfast, 8 a.m.-8:45 a.m.; lunch, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Riverbank Elementary
Where: 160 Cougar Drive, West Columbia
When: Monday-Thursday, June 17-July 17 (closed July 1-5)
Meals: Breakfast, 7:30 a.m.-8 a.m.; lunch, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Wood Elementary
Where: 737 Pine Ridge Drive, West Columbia
When: Tuesday-Thursday, June 11-July 18 (closed July 1-5)
Meals: Breakfast, 8 a.m.-8:30 a.m.; lunch, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Lexington Two Performing Arts Center
Where: 3205 Platt Springs Road, West Columbia
When: Monday-Thursday, June 3-13
Meals: Lunch, 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m.; snack 1:30 p.m.
Other locations:
Glen Forest School
Where: 1041 Harbor Drive, West Columbia
When: Monday-Friday, June 3-July 18 (closed July 1-5)
Meals: Lunch, 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
Norman Arnold
Where: 1100 South Holly Street, Columbia
When: Monday-Friday, June 3-July 18 (closed July 1-5)
Meals: Lunch, 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m.; snack, 1:30 p.m.
Organized groups such as camps, churches, community centers and others that would like to be a site-sponsor should contact Pam Bienkoski in the Sodexo office in Lexington Two at (803) 739-4010 or pbienkoski@lex2.org.
Lexington School District Three
Lexington County School District Three is providing essential nutrition to children throughout the summer with its own Summer Meal Program.
Meal pick-ups will occur on the following dates at B-L Elementary School from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Participants can pull through the bus loop on the side of the school to pick-up meals. BLES is located at 403 South Lee Street in Leesville.
Pick-up dates:
Thursday, June 13, 2024
Thursday, June 20, 2024
Friday, June 28, 2024
Thursday, July 11, 2024
Thursday, July 18, 2024
There will be no meal service during the week of July 4th to give our dedicated staff the opportunity to celebrate the holiday.
5 breakfasts and 5 lunches are included in each packaged pick-up. In addition, each package will also include a hot meal featuring a Supreme Chicken Sandwich.
Lexington-Richland School District Five
Lexington-Richland School District Five is also participating in the Summer Food Service Program during June and July. All children up to the age of 18 years old can participate in the program.
The program dates of operation will be June 10 through July 26 (all sites will be closed on July 4th in observance of Independence Day).
Open Site Information:
Monday-Thursday from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• Dutch Fork High School (1400 Old Tamah Road, Irmo)
• Irmo High School (6671 St. Andrews Road, Columbia)
• Chapin High School (300 Columbia Avenue, Chapin)
All meals will be served and consumed on site.
Meal Pick Up Site:
Mondays and Thursdays from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (except the week of July 4th; pick up day will be July 3rd)
• Spring Hill High School Bus Loop (11629 Broad River Road, Chapin)
Students must be present at time of pick up or parents must present the student’s report card or birth certificate.
Sumter School District
Sumter School District will have a summer feeding program through the Seamless Summer Option.
A person 19 years of age and over with a mental or physical disability as determined by a state or local educational agency and who participates during the school year in a public or private non-profit school program may participate in the program.
The Summer Feeding Program will operate from Monday, June 3, 2024, through Thursday, July 18, 2024.
Meals must be served to children one (1) hour after delivery or pick-up. All meals must be consumed on-site, with the exception of whole fruits or closed packaged grain products.
Calhoun County Public Schools
Calhoun County Public Schools will have a free lunch program Monday-Thursday in June for kids 18 years and under.
The program will be located at Calhoun County High School, St. Matthews K8, Sandy Run K8, and the Calhoun County Library.
Do you know of a summer meal program not listed here? Send an email to wis-webproducers@gray.tv
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