Free Breakfast and Lunches Provided during Summer

By Samuel Snow

Special to MLN

Each year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Summer Food Service Program partners with the Clark County School District to provide free breakfast and lunch for students age 18 and younger when school is out for the summer.

This help ensure that low-income students have access to nutritious meals all year long. In Mesquite, they have been serving breakfast and lunch Monday through Thursday at Virgin Valley Elementary School, 200 Woodbury Lane, from May 29- June 28. Breakfast was from 8 – 8:30 a.m. and lunch was noon-12:30 p.m.

lunch worker preparing meals Photo by Samuel Snow

Cathy Davis, principal of Virgin Valley Elementary School, said the free summer meals are currently provided at VVES because the school is open for a summer reading program. The students eat breakfast and then attend their reading class.

However, she said the free meals are for anyone up to age 18 and not just for those in their reading program. Not many in the community have participated this year as she had hoped. Davis believes this is probably due to the lack of advanced public notice, since she was not made aware the meals were going to be served there until briefly before.

The free meals will be moved to Charles Hughes Middle School, 550 Hafen Lane, starting June 27 and run until July 23. Breakfast is 8:30-9 a.m. and lunch is 11:30 a.m.— noon.