Free meals for kids available at sites around Spokane this summer

July 4, 2023 Updated Wed., July 5, 2023 at 9:01 p.m.

Kyrick Christianson, 8, eats his free hot dog lunch provided by Spokane Public Schools on Thursday at Liberty Park Aquatic Center. The Summer Meals Program is a federally funded child nutrition program created to help children up to the age of 18 receive the nourishment they need during summer school break. (COLIN MULVANY/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)Buy a print of this photo

By Elena Perry elenap@spokesman.com (509) 459-5270

Free meals are available to children at dozens of locations around Spokane during the summer.

Spokane Public Schools, Central Valley, West Valley, East Valley, Cheney and Riverside school districts are among those offering breakfast and lunch to children 18 and under free of charge as part of a federal program that feeds kids when school isn’t in session.

Spokane Public Schools provides meals at more than 40 sites, including schools of all levels, community centers, parks and apartment complexes across the county.

Children can go to any location offering a meal, regardless of enrollment in the school or district. Families are welcome to accompany children and may bring their own food, though those over 18 can’t eat any of the school-provided meal and it must be consumed on site.

Kids aren’t required to register or bring ID to get their free meal, according to Katy Payne, executive director of communications at the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Run dates vary at each site, though many sites are offering food throughout summer vacation. Mealtimes also vary, with breakfasts served for about an hour in the morning and lunches in the late morning or early afternoon.

To find a site offering a meal and see hours and dates of operation, the Department of Agriculture has a database of free meal sites, times and dates around the nation. A complete list of meal sites and more information can be found on each district’s homepage. Some options around Spokane include the following:

Lewis and Clark High School, 521 W. 4th Ave., through Aug. 18, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and noon to 1 p.m.
Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center, 500 S. Stone St., through Aug. 18, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Willard Elementary, 500 W. Longfellow Ave., through July 27, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to noon
West Valley High School, 8301 E. Buckeye Ave., through Aug. 17, Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Valley YMCA, 2421 N. Discovery Place, through Aug. 10, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Cheney Middle School, 740 Betz Road, through July 28, Monday through Friday, 7:50 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Central Valley High School, 821 Sullivan Road, through July 14, 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

To find a meal site near you, call (866) 348-6479) or text “Food” to 304-304.

Elena Perry can be reached at (509) 459-5270 or by email at elenap@spokesman.com.