By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
Yukon children and teens are getting free meals this summer through a federally funded initiative.
Yukon Public Schools launched its no-cost summer feeding program this week and the service will continue through June and July.
Local youth are offered nutritious and delicious meals at three Yukon school cafeterias and two mobile home communities, YPS Food Service Director Chuck Thomas said.
“We will serve about 300 breakfasts a day in three schools and 600 lunches a day at the schools and mobile home parks,” said Thomas, general manager at Sodexo.
The YPS summer feeding program is particularly beneficial to busy working parents – who otherwise must prepare breakfast and lunch during the week for their children, he pointed out.
Many meal recipients live close enough they can walk to the host sites to eat their free breakfast and lunch this summer.
These complimentary summer meals are available no matter if the recipient is enrolled in the Yukon school district.
“Anyone age 1 to 18 can participate and there is no charge to families,” Thomas emphasized. “They do not have to live in the Yukon school district.”
Breakfast is served from 7:30-9 a.m. and lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at:
- Yukon High School, 1777 S Yukon Parkway
- Redstone Intermediate School, 11501 W Britton Road
- Myers Elementary School, 1200 S 1st
Lunch only is served daily from 11-11:45 a.m. at Overholser Village, 9355 Sundown Drive; and from noon to 12:45 p.m. at Welcome Home Community, 1112 Lifestyle Drive.
These mobile home communities are on the east side of the Yukon school district in Oklahoma City.
“We have enough (recipients) within the mobile parks that we come right there to the site,” Thomas said. “We prepare it at the high school and take it out there. This makes it more convenient.”
ANOTHER BENEFIT
The federal government funds this program for schools that qualify based on percentage of students who apply for free and reduced meal benefits.
Both Yukon High School and Myers Elementary School host summer camp students, Thomas noted.
Redstone Intermediate School, on Yukon’s north side, was selected as a meal site in part because Piedmont doesn’t offer a summer feeding program.
Recipients must dine at the school or mobile home park – and should not leave with the food.
“They’re supposed to eat here,” Thomas said.
In previous years during the COVID-19 pandemic, students were allowed to take the summer meals and leave the host site.
The YPS summer feeding program will end Friday, July 28. Sites will be closed Monday and Tuesday, July 3-4.
