For the City Times

Stressing the importance of offering nutritious meals to children during the summer months, the Stevens Point Area Public School District announces the sponsorship of the 2016 Summer Food Service Program.

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, provides nutritious meals to children during the summer, when free and reduced-price school meals are typically unavailable. Free meals will be made available to children 18 years of age and under.

Persons over 18 years of age who are determined by a state or local public educational agency to be mentally or physically disabled and who also participate in a public or private non-profit school program during the regular school year may receive free meals as well.

The following locations will be serving the free meals this summer:

• SPASH, serving breakfast at 6:30 am-8:45 am & serving lunch at 11:30 am-12:50 pm
• PJ Jacobs Jr. High, serving breakfast at 8:30 am-9:15 am & serving lunch at 11:00 am-12:15 pm
• Jefferson Elementary, serving breakfast at 8:00 am-9:15 am & serving lunch at 11:00 am-12:30 pm
• Kennedy Elementary, serving breakfast at 8:30 am-9:15 am & serving lunch at 11:00 am-12:30 pm
• McKinley Elementary, serving breakfast at 8:30 am-9:15 am & serving lunch at 10:45 am-12:30 pm
• Madison Elementary, serving breakfast at 8:30 am-9:15 am & serving lunch at 11:00 am-12:30 pm

Meals are provided to eligible children regardless of race, color, national origin, age, gender or disability and there will be no discrimination in the course of meal service, according to a news release from the district.

“This program fills a void created when school lunches are not available,” said Lori Epstein, food service manager. “Helping parents meet the nutritional needs of their children is the strength of this program.”