For the City Times

STEVENS POINT — Enter any of the Stevens Point Area Public School District Summer School sites during breakfast or lunch time and you’ll see plenty of students receiving a free meal before heading to the next part of their day.

For the second year in a row, the District’s Summer Food Service program has received ‘Gold’ recognition from the United States Department of Agriculture as part of the ‘Turnip the Beet’ award program. Recipients are selected for their innovation and dedication to providing high-quality meals that are appetizing, appealing and nutritious throughout summer months.  The District was the only school in the state of Wisconsin to receive a gold award.

“Nutritious food is critical for overall growth and learning,” said Lori Epstein, Food Service Manager for the District. “We see our summer meal program as a natural extension of the meals our staff works to provide for students during the school year.”

The District began the Summer Food Service Program in 2013 and continues to expand, dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children in our community. Since then, participation has increased substantially. “Last year, we served over 42,400 meals during the six-week summer program,” said Epstein. “Looking at meals served so far this summer, we are definitely on track to exceed that number”.

Summer meals are offered at no cost at the following locations to all children aged 18 and under Monday – Thursday through July 25 and are federally funded through a state-administered program.

• Jefferson Elementary:  8:15 a.m. -9:15 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m.

• Madison Elementary: 8:30 a.m. -9:15 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m.

• McKinley Elementary: 8:30 a.m. -9:15 a.m. & 10:45 a.m. -12:30 p.m.

• Kennedy Elementary: 8:30 a.m. -9:15 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m.

• PJ Jacobs Junior High: 8:30 a.m. -9:15 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. -12:15 p.m.

• Ben Franklin Junior High: 8:30 a.m. -9:15 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. -12:15 p.m.

• SPASH: 7:00 a.m. -9:30 a.m. & 11:15 a.m. -1:15 p.m. (meals also served on Fridays)