© 2024 MICHIGAN PUBLIC
91.7 Ann Arbor/Detroit 104.1 Grand Rapids 91.3 Port Huron 89.7 Lansing 91.1 Flint
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Summer food program gets new website

Free meals are available this summer for kids 18 & younger
Flickr user bookgrl
Free meals are available this summer for kids 18 & younger

Millions of kids eat free or reduced-price meals at their schools during the school year. But during the summer, those numbers drop dramatically. Last year Michigan schools served 144 million free meals. But during the summer the state only served 2.6 million meals.

Howard Leikert is the supervisor of School Nutrition Programs. He says the Summer Food Service Program is seriously underutilized. The state hopesa new website will help people locate places providing free summer meals.

“We just thought it would be a fairly easy way for a lot of different people including parents, school officials, and school food service sponsors to be able to go online and find directions to the nearest site.”

The website maps out 950 locations including schools, non-profits, and community centers where kids 18 or younger can eat breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks.

Kyle Norris is from Michigan and spent ten years as a host and reporter with Michigan Radio, the state’s largest NPR-affiliate. He lives in Seattle and works as a substitute host and producer at KNKX.
Related Content