Children under 18 can get free lunch across Wake County this summer through the Summer Food Service Program
As students enter their summer break, no child should wonder where they’ll get their next meal now that school is out. Many organizations across our region are coming together to offer children under 18 free meals throughout summer at locations across Wake County. The Summer Food Service Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“These summer meals could not be distributed without the collaboration of our local organizations dedicating their time and space to welcome thousands of children countywide to eat lunch,” said Commissioner Tara Waters of the Wake County Board of Commissioners. “We are grateful to be a part of this effort to provide a meal to every child in Wake County so that they don’t go hungry this summer.”
The Poe Center is starting the summer distribution with a splash through their ‘Lunch with Poe: Kids eat free at PlayWell park’ event on Wednesday, June 26, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 224 Sunnybrook Road, Raleigh. This event will feature exciting activities, such as exploring the Poe Center’s ‘GrowWELL’ Garden and ‘MindWELL’ Garden Labyrinth.
The Poe Center will continue to provide free meals for children during the summer months each Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. They are only one of multiple organizations already providing free meals for children.
Other locations include:
- First United Methodist Church, 17 S Academy St., Cary
- Greater Love Baptist Church, 2421 Timber Drive, Raleigh
- Historic Oak View Park, 4028 Carya Drive, Raleigh
- Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian, 200 High Meadow Drive, Cary
- Wendell Parks and Recreation, 601 W. 3rd St., Wendell
Each site has different days and hours of operation, and there’s at least one site open most days of the week. To find the operating times of each site visit wake.gov/summerfood.
Wake County Cooperative Extension supports our partners in establishing and enhancing summer food sites across the county. Last year, 173,000 meals were served to children in our area.
