GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Meal needs don’t stop with the end of the school year and an area District is stepping up to the plate.
Green Bay Area Public School District begins distributing meals throughout the area as a part of its 2023 Summer Food Service Program, working to meet the nutrition demand this summer.
“There are a number of kids going to summer school but, many who are not, and the parks are a great place for kids and families to come together and enjoy a healthy meal,” said Green Bay Mayor, Eric Genrich.
Meals will be distributed at various locations including area schools, city parks, local museums, and libraries.
Maya Cruz has participated in this program since she was 10 years old. She said, “we wouldn’t just go to the one that was down the road from us, we’d go to other parks. We’d bike all the way to the east side or really far to the west side and it really motivated us to go to the park in the summertime.”
This program is free for all children in the community, not only those enrolled in the District or those eligible for the free or reduced meal benefits plan.
Children are allowed one meal of each type, per day.
Meals are also available for purchase, cash only, by those ages 19 and older. Breakfast is $2.85, lunch is $5.00, and an extra carton of milk is 50 cents.
Meals must be eaten on site, must be served directly to the student, and there is no meal option for students absent that day.
Lynette Kiehnau said this is for all of the busy families. She added, “that’s three months of meals that they would have to plan, and now they can just come to the park, Monday-through-Friday and they can get a meal for their children.”
Mayor Genrich said there will also be playground programs at more than a dozen area parks this year, he stated, “the added benefit is hopefully to attract some more folks into our parks.”
The 2023 program will end Friday, August 18.
