Free summer meals available for children and teens

Editor's note: This article was updated to include additional sites in Olney and bookmobile stops in Columbia Falls and Hungry Horse.

Free meals are available to youths 18 and under in Flathead County over the summer months when school is not in session.

Meals will be served at schools, parks and other locations in Evergreen, Kalispell, Somers-Lakeside and Whitefish starting June 17. Columbia Falls locations have already started serving meals.

No registration, proof of income or identification is required to participate at any location and all youths are welcome to participate at any site. The Summer Food Service Program works to ensure that youth from low-income families and neighborhoods get nutritious meals when school is on summer break. The school district receives federal and state reimbursement for the number of meals served. Somers-School District also received grant funding from No Kid Hungry, a national program run by nonprofit Share Our Strength. 

For more information about the USDA summer meals program or to search for participating locations visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp. 

Below is a list of locations and times meals will be served. No meals will be served on July 4.

Kalispell and Evergreen

Breakfast and lunch will be served weekdays June 17 through Aug. 16. For more information call Kalispell Public Schools Food Services Department at 751-3400 extension 3443.

Van

Hawthorne Park, 184 Hawthorne Ave., 11 to 11:15 a.m.

Empire Estates off Three Mile Loop, 11:25 to 11:40 a.m.

Northridge Park, 111 Northridge Dr., 11:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m.

Lawrence Park, 1105 North Main St., 12:15 to 12:30 p.m.

Washington Park on Washington Street, 12:35 to 12:55 p.m.

Red food truck

Evergreen Jr. High, 20 W. Evergreen Dr., 11 to 11:15 a.m.

Hedges Elementary, 827 Fourth Ave E., 11:25 to 11:40 a.m.

Begg Park, 57 Begg Park Drive, 11:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m.

Elrod Elementary, 412 Third Ave. W., 12:15 to 12:30 p.m.

Peterson Elementary,1119 Second St. W., 12:35 to 12:55 p.m.

Blue food truck

Logan Fitness Center, 205 Sunnyview Lane in the west end parking lot, 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

Bigfork

Breakfast and lunch will be served weekdays June 17 through Aug. 16. Meals will not be served July 1-6. For more information call Bigfork ACES at 837-5437.

Bigfork ACES, 639 Grand Dr., breakfast is served from 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. and lunch from noon to 12:20 p.m.

Columbia Falls, Hungry Horse and Martin City

Breakfast and lunch are served in the Canyon on Tuesdays and in Columbia Falls on Wednesdays through July. The district asks parents or guardians to pick up the meals as five breakfasts and five lunches will be provided to each child. For more information call Columbia Falls School District Food Service Director Laurie Lunghuhn at 892-6540 extension 2005.

Tuesdays

Hungry Horse by the city park, 10 to 10:45 a.m.

Canyon School in Hungry Horse, 11 to 11:45 a.m.

Martin City Fire Department in the front parking lot, 320 Central Ave., noon to 12:45 p.m.

Coram Firehall in the back parking lot, 1 to 1:45 p.m.

Wednesdays 

Columbia Falls High School, 610 13th St. W. by the Art Annex, 8:15 to 9 a.m.

Glacier Gateway School, 440 4th Ave W. in the front parking lot, 9 to 9:30 a.m.

Ruder Elementary, 1500 12th Ave. W. in the parking lot, 9:40 to 10:25 a.m.

Half Moon Mobile Home Park, 320 Braig Road, 11 to 11:45 a.m.

River’s Edge Park, 501 Fourth Ave. E., 12 to 12:45 p.m.

Bookmobile stops

Weekend bags will be distributed June 25 through Aug. 1.

Canyon School in Hungry Horse, 10:30 to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays.

Pinewood Pool, 925 4th Ave. W., Columbia Falls, 1:15 to 1:45 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Olney

Meals will be served June 17 through Aug. 23 in partnership with the nonprofit Land to Hand Montana at Olney Fire Department, 11 Olney Loop Road. Meals will be served from noon to 12:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays and on Fridays from 11:30 to 11:45 a.m.

Somers-Lakeside

Breakfast and lunch will be served weekdays June 17 through Aug. 16. For more information call Somers-Lakeside School District Food Service Director Robin Crosby at 249-7313.

Lakeside Elementary, 255 Adams St. in Lakeside, 11:50 a.m. to 12:10 p.m.

Corner of Blacktail and Tamarack Woods Drive in Lakeside (bulk meal pick-up site), 12:15 to 12:20 p.m.

Corner of Manning Road and Farm Road, 1 to 1:20 p.m.

Whitefish

Lunches will be served on weekdays June 17 through Aug. 23. Weekend bags will be handed out on Fridays. For more information, call Whitefish School District at 862-8600.

Forest Acres, 4870 U.S. 93, 10:45 to 11:05 a.m.

Skate Park, 290 Armory Road, 11:20 to 11:45 a.m.

Whitefish High School Center for Sustainability and Entrepreneurship, 1143 Fourth St., 11:50 a.m. to 12 p.m.

City Beach, Lakeside Boulevard, 12:15 p.m. to 12:40 p.m.

Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.