The Jeff Davis Parish School Board is encouraging local parents, guardians and grandparents to sign their children and grandchildren up for a free summer feeding program.

The program will allow students to have access to nutritional meals when school is not in session, Greg Patterson said.

“I think it is very important that kids continue to receive healthy, nutritional meals over the summer,” Patterson said. “And I am glad we are going back with the summer feeding program because we haven’t had it for the last past summers since COVID.”

The program, which will provide free seven-day meal kits to anyone ages 0 to 18 years old, will run June 17-July 22. The meal kits will include non-perishable breakfast and lunch items.

“These will be very high quality (food) items from what I have been told,” Patterson said. “They will not be just low grade items. They will be nice and something the kids will eat.”

Curbside pickup will be 7 a.m.-noon every Monday. Pick-up site locations are Elton High, Fenton Elementary, Hathaway High, Jennings High, Lake Arthur Elementary, Lacassine High and Welsh High schools.

“This will be beneficial to all our families, especially our single-parents,” Patterson said.

Residents are urged to pre-register for the program at https://forms.gle/RGZkwMKmPunyZhtT7. Registration will also be available at the designated pick-up sites.

Parents or guardians will need to provide a name, address and email along with the names and ages of all children who will be participating in the program. Registration should also include the name of anyone who will be designated to pickup the meals and the designated location site for pickup.

The summer food service program is a child nutrition program funded through the USDA which provides reimbursements for meals.

For more information contact Child Nutrition Supervisor Tina Coleman at 337-824-1969 or under the news section of the Jeff Davis Parish School Board website at www.jffersondavis.org.