From one of two coolers, Mike Bradshaw-Heiberg hands out brown bag lunches and half-pints of milk as part of the Kids Cafe summer meals program July 1, 2015, in Sultan. (Kevin Clark / Herald file)

From one of two coolers, Mike Bradshaw-Heiberg hands out brown bag lunches and half-pints of milk as part of the Kids Cafe summer meals program July 1, 2015, in Sultan. (Kevin Clark / Herald file)

Summer meal programs for low-income kids ready to start soon

EVERETT — Tens of thousands of fruit cups, cracker packs, cheese sticks and cartons of milk were served to children in Snohomish County last summer.

Those are a few staples of the meals provided for kids when school is out. They’re free for children 18 and younger, and some sites offer free or low-cost food for adults, as well.

Last year, more than 140,000 meals were served to students around the county while school was out.

Summer meal programs are scheduled to kick off over the next couple of weeks. It’s not all sack lunches; some have corn dog or pizza days, a couple of favorites among children. The meals aren’t just available at schools, either. In an attempt to reach more children, some now are at churches, apartment complexes and mobile home parks.

Many school districts participate as an extension of the federal program that supports free and reduced price meals during the school year. Others rely on partnerships with nonprofits to feed children from the end of June until August or September.

North Counties Family Services in Darrington combines meals with a summer day camp. The Foundation for Edmonds Schools puts on children’s activities with lunch. In Snohomish, a “Book Cafe” rolls along with the Kids’ Cafe, bringing sustenance for the brain as well as the body.

The nonprofit Food Lifeline is working with the Community Health Center of Snohomish County to fill gaps in the federal meals program. They plan to hand out meals in Edmonds, Lynnwood, Everett, Arlington and Sultan.

In the Stanwood-Camano School District, the usual summer meal program is ending this year because of an update in census data used to determine locations, according to the district. The Stanwood-Camano Food Bank has pledged to expand its backpack program, which provides weekly bags of food, to make up for the loss.

Around the county, children generally are not required to provide proof that they live in a certain area, or that they come from low-income families.

Coordinators say summer meals are meant to be no-questions-asked for young people in need.

Free meals for children 18 and younger are offered in:

Arlington

Arlington Community Health Center. June 21 to Sept. 5. Lunch 11:30 a.m., Monday-Friday.

Darrington

(Free for children and adults)

Darrington Elementary. July 5 to Aug. 1. Lunch at 11:30 a.m., Monday-Thursday.

Edmonds

(Most locations June 28 to Aug. 24, Monday-Thursday)

Martha Lake Baptist Church. Activities 10 a.m., lunch at noon.

Community Life Center. Activities 11 a.m., lunch at noon.

Edgewood Baptist Church. Activities and lunch at noon.

Edmonds Community Health Center. June 28 to Sept. 5. Lunch 11:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

Lynnwood Community Health Center. June 28 to Sept. 5. Lunch 11:30 Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.

Everett

(Free for children, $4 for adults)

Cascade High School. July 5 to Aug. 14. Breakfast 7:15 a.m., lunch 10:15 a.m. Monday-Friday.

Emerson Elementary. July 31 to Aug. 10. Breakfast 8 a.m., lunch 11:30 a.m. Monday-Thursday.

Everett Boys &Girls Club. July 5 to Aug. 24. Lunch 11 a.m. Monday-Friday.

Everett YMCA. July 5 to Aug. 24. Lunch 11:30 a.m. Monday-Friday.

Evergreen Middle School. July 10 to Aug. 10. Breakfast 8:15 a.m., lunch at noon Monday-Thursday.

Family Tree Apartments. July 5 to Aug. 24. Lunch at noon Monday-Friday.

Garfield Elementary. July 5 to Aug. 10. Lunch 11:45 a.m. Monday-Thursday.

Grandview Community Center. July 10 to Aug. 23. Lunch 11 a.m. Monday-Friday.

Jackson Elementary. July 31 to Aug. 10. Breakfast 8 a.m., lunch 11:30 a.m. Monday-Thursday.

Lincoln Way Apartments. July 5 to Aug. 24. Lunch 1:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Lowell Elementary. July 10 to Aug. 10. Breakfast 9:15 a.m., lunch 1 p.m. Monday-Thursday.

Madison Elementary. July 10 to Aug. 10. Breakfast 9:15 a.m., lunch 1 p.m. Monday-Thursday.

North Middle School. July 10 to Aug. 10. Breakfast 8:15 a.m., lunch at noon Monday-Friday.

Pineview Community Center. July 10 to Aug. 23. Lunch 11 a.m. Monday-Friday.

Whittier Elementary. July 5 to Aug. 24. Breakfast 9:15 a.m. Monday-Thursday, lunch 12:45 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Trailside Boys &Girls Club. June 21 to Sept. 1. Lunch at noon Monday, Wednesday, Friday and 3 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday.

Cascade Boys &Girls Club. June 23 to Sept. 5. Dinner 4 p.m., snack 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Granite Falls

Granite Falls Middle School. June 21 to Aug. 25 (closed July 4). Lunch at noon Monday-Friday.

Lake Stevens

(Free for children, $3.75 for adults)

Sunnycrest Elementary. June 22 to Aug. 4 (closed July 3-4). Lunch at noon Monday-Friday.

Marysville

(Free for children, $2-$4 for adults)

Allen Creek, Cascade, Liberty and Shoultes elementary schools. July 5 to Aug. 25. Snack 10 a.m., lunch 12:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary. July 5 to Aug. 27. Snack 9:15 a.m., lunch at noon Monday-Thursday.

Beach Street Boys &Girls Club. July 5 to Aug. 25. Lunch 11:30 a.m., snack 3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Westend Crossing Apartments. July 5 to Aug. 25. Lunch at noon, snack 2 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Cedar Grove Apartments. July 5 to Aug. 25. Lunch at noon, snack 2 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday.

Monroe

Frank Wagner Elementary. June 28 to Aug. 25 (closed July 4). Lunch at noon Monday-Friday.

Mukilteo

Horizon and Olivia Park elementary schools. July 10 to Aug. 25. Breakfast 8 a.m., lunch 11:30 a.m. Monday-Friday.

Odyssey Elementary and Voyager Middle School. July 10 to Aug. 18. Breakfast 8 a.m., lunch 11:30 a.m. Monday-Friday.

Walter Hall Park. June 27 to 30. Breakfast 8 a.m., lunch 11:30 a.m. Tuesday-Friday.

Kasch Park. July 6 and 7, breakfast 8:15 a.m. and lunch at noon; and Aug. 1 to 4, breakfast 8 a.m. and lunch 11:30 a.m.

Sno-Isle Tech Skills Center. June 26 to July 14. Breakfast 8 a.m., lunch 11:30 a.m. Monday-Friday.

Snohomish

(All locations June 26 to Sept. 1, Monday-Friday)

Snohomish High School. Breakfast 8:30 a.m., lunch 11:30 a.m.

Snohomish Boys &Girls Club. Breakfast 8:15 a.m., lunch 11:30 a.m.

Emerson Elementary. Breakfast 9 a.m.

Three Rivers Mobile Home Park. Lunch 11:15 a.m.

Circle H Mobile Home Park. Lunch at noon.

Snohomish Aquatic Center. Lunch 12:30 p.m.

Stanwood-Camano

Weekly bags of food available for pick-up starting June 22 at: Stanwood YMCA, Monday-Friday, Elger Bay Grocery and Stanwood-Camano Resource Center during open hours, St. Aidan’s Church, Thursdays 3 to 6 p.m., and Stanwood-Camano Food Bank, Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to noon.

Sultan

Sultan Boys &Girls Club. June 20 to Sept. 5. Snack 9 a.m., dinner 4 p.m. Monday-Friday.

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