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Summer break is here, but for a lot of families, it also means losing access to the free meals their kids usually get at school. During the school year, many students rely on breakfast and lunch at school to stay fed and focused. When classes end, those meals often disappear too.
To help with that, free summer meal programs are back across Snohomish County. They’re open to all kids 18 and under, and there’s no paperwork, ID, or proof of income needed. Just show up and eat.
Each local school district has shaped their offerings a little differently to match their community’s needs.
Snohomish
Snohomish School District offers meals called Kid’s Café, a program unique to the district and funded by the USDA.
Kid’s Café runs Monday through Friday through Aug. 29, serving breakfast and lunch at several locations:
• Snohomish High School, 1516 Fifth St. (breakfast and lunch served indoors - times are 8:30-9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. - noon.)
• Snohomish Library, Maple Avenue (meals served from a mobile café truck - 8:45 - 9:15 a.m. and 12:15 - 1:15 p.m.)
• Three Rivers (11-11:15 a.m.) and Circle H (11:45 a.m. - noon) Mobile Home Parks (lunch only, served from the truck )
•Snohomish Boys and Girls Club, Second Street and Lincoln Avenue (breakfast only, 8-8:30 a.m.)
“Kid’s Café has grown into a cornerstone of our community support system,” said Snohomish school district spokeswoman Kristin Foley. “It helps ensure every student returns to school healthy, nourished, and ready to learn.”
Meals must be eaten on-site and during designated times. Kids must be present to receive a meal, and each child can get one breakfast and one lunch per day.
Everett
Everett Public Schools runs its own summer meal program through the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program and has sponsored free summer meals for more than 35 years.
This year, the district is offering free lunches through to Aug. 14 at 20 locations, including school campuses, apartment complexes, public libraries, parks, and local Boys & Girls Clubs.
“Our goal is to support the health and well-being of students year-round,” said Adam Pazder, Director of Food and Nutrition Services for Everett Public Schools. “By offering meals at neighborhood locations, we are helping remove barriers and ensure all children have access to nutritious food throughout the summer.”
Schedules vary by site and may shift slightly, so families are encouraged to check the district website, www.everettsd.org, often for updates. One of the locations includes View Ridge Elementary, where breakfast is served from 8:30–9 a.m. and lunch from 11:15–11:45 a.m. (until July 25).
Monroe
The Monroe School District is also offering free lunches through to Aug. 22. The lunch is available Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Frank Wagner Elementary off of West Main St. near downtown.
No registration or ID is needed, but kids must eat on site and may not share food with anyone over age 18.
Families are encouraged to check their district websites frequently for updated menus, locations, and volunteer opportunities. And just telling a friend or neighbor can help more families benefit from these free resources this summer.
For more locations, search online at www.fns.usda.gov
