By Mary Goldmeer
Mail

 As summer begins and school cafeterias close, families in the Litchfield Elementary School District can still count on access to free meals for their children through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).

The district announced it will provide free breakfast and lunch to children ages 18 and under.

“The goal of the Litchfield Elementary School District’s... Food Services Department is to provide nutritious and appetizing meals for all students,” stated Dr. Mary Venable, director of Food and Nutrition Services for the Litchfield Elementary School District. “Children need healthy meals to fuel their growing minds allowing them to achieve academic success.”

Starting Monday, June 9, the program runs through June 26, Monday through Thursday, at Barbara B. Robey Elementary School, located at 5340 N. Wigwam Creek Blvd. in Litchfield Park.

Breakfast will be served from 8:15 to 8:45 a.m., and lunch will be served from 12:15 to 1:00 p.m.

“Meals will be provided to all children, ages 18 and under,” the district said in its public release.

Throughout the school year, many children in low-income households receive free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch at school. When summer break arrives, those same families may struggle to make up for those lost meals.

To help bridge that gap, the U.S. Department of Agriculture funds the SFSP and Seamless Summer Option, which are administered in Arizona by the Department of Education Health and Nutrition Services. Schools, government agencies, food banks, and community groups like the YMCA sponsor summer meal sites statewide.

Last summer the program served over 3.2 million meals.

“Everyone is excited to donate around Christmas and the holidays, and they remember the people who need food,” stated Linda Hamman, administrator of the Hunger Relief Program. “By the time summer comes, we’re thinking about vacations and where we’re going to go. We forget that our families need food.” 

According to the Arizona Department of Education’s Free and Reduced-Price Percentage Report, about 4,537 of Litchfield Elementary School District’s 10,500 students participated in free and reduced-price meal programs during the 2024–25 school year.

Through the school year, children are automatically eligible for free meals if anyone in their household receives SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR benefits. Schools should notify families if a child qualifies. Families can also submit an application to determine eligibility. Children experiencing homelessness, those in foster care, runaway youth, and children of migrant workers qualify for free meals when a household completes the application. Children may also qualify based on household income.

Regardless of free or reduced lunch status, to receive summer meals, children just need to show up at an approved site. 

Families can find a nearby food site by visiting the USDA’s site locator at azhealthzone.org.