Marion County Schools to continue free meals for students over summer

Marion County Public Schools will continue their Summer Food Service Program this summer that provides children in the community with free meals.

According to a press release from the organization, the district anticipates providing over 200,000 meals to students this summer.

In addition to providing food to students each school day at every campus offering summer school classes, meals will be provided at 22 base locations to families every Monday from June 7 – July 26. Food scheduled for July 5 will be given Tuesday, July 6, due to observance of the Independence Day holiday.

Families will receive 10 meals per child (five breakfasts and five lunches) through curbside pick-up from 9 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. at the following locations:

Belleview Elementary, Belleview High, College Park Elementary, N.H. Jones Elementary, Dunnellon Elementary, East Marion Elementary, Emerald Shores Elementary, Forest High, Fort King Middle, Fort McCoy School, Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks, Lake Weir Middle, Liberty Middle, Maplewood Elementary, Marion Oaks Elementary, North Marion Middle, Oakcrest Elementary, Reddick-Collier Elementary, Romeo Elementary, South Ocala Elementary, Vanguard High, West Port High

Anyone 18 or younger is eligible for this program which requires no application or income verification.

Students should be with their parents/guardians when picking up meals. If a child is not present, the parent/guardian must provide legal paperwork proving they have legal custody of the child for whom they are picking up meals. These five organizations will also pickup meals from the district to serve students participating in their respective programs:  Boys and Girls Clubs in Dunnellon and Ocala, Lillian Bryant Community, E.D. Croskey Community Center, and Ocala YMCA.

The Summer Food Service Program operates through reimbursements from Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.