The arrival of summer break is an exciting time for many students, but for some the end of the school year also brings and end to regular meals.

This year, Marshalltown Schools food service staff will provide free meals for children 18 years old and younger at the district’s six elementary buildings, Lenihan Intermediate School, Marshalltown High School and at community partner locations.

“That’s obviously a huge concern for us, is kids who are in chronically hungry households,” said Marshalltown Schools Director of Food Service Lynn Large. “It is a great option for low-income individuals but it’s also a safe, fun place where kids can come throughout the day and enjoy some air conditioning and get a good, healthy meal and socialize with their friends.”

She said seven out of 10 Marshalltown students qualify for free and reduced-price school meals and a portion of those children are considered chronically hungry.

The program is fully funded through the United States Department of Agriculture and the meals are open to any child, not just those attending Marshalltown schools.

“The purpose of the program is to provide that good nutrition to kids over the summer,” Large said. “Just like you lose some of that education over the summer if you don’t continue reading and writing and things like that, similar things happen with nutrition if you led that slide.”

Along with Anson, Franklin, Rogers, Fisher, Woodbury and Hoglan elementary schools, the Marshalltown YMCA-YWCA, Marshalltown Public Library and Salvation Army will also host feeding sites for the program.

“Besides people who might be food insecure, it also just helps busy families to fit storytime and library programs in their day,” said public library Youth Librarian Joa LaVille. “Ours is cold, it’s like a sack lunch.”

Along with lunch served from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, she said children can always pick up a free snack from the youth desk.

“I’m really proud of this, we served 100 percent of our lunches once we got in a groove and figured out how to serve leftovers,” LaVille said of last year’s summer meal program. She said unused lunches go into the fridge at the library, and can be served Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The meals will be served during different periods from June to August this summer. Large said she plans to pursue this sort of programming for years to come.

“It’s something that we’re being told, from the state level at least, that it’s a program that they’re trying to grow, so I do see the longevity of this program being good,” she said. “We are always looking for ways to expand the program.”

Along with district food service staff, Large said volunteers can help dish out meals to area children.

“This community is so supportive of kids, so it’s just a neat thing that we can collaborate on to get a nutritious meal to all the kids who need one,” she said.

For more information or to volunteer, call Marshalltown Schools food service at 641-754-1185

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Contact Adam Sodders at

(641) 753-6611 or asodders@timesrepublican.com