Onsite or to go, the School District offers free meals to children all summer long 

HOUSTON COUNTY — Houston County has over 44,000 children, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. That’s a lot of mouths to feed and the school district wants to ease the burden on guardians.

The Houston County School District is continuing its tradition of offering free meals throughout the summer to those under 18 as part of its Summer Feeding Program, running from May 26 through July 24. 

The District offers mobile van routes that go through various neighborhoods around the county offering meals to the children. The routes include one in Perry, three routes in Warner Robins (Central, North and East), one Bonaire route, one Centerville route, and one Northside High route. 

The van will go through Kings Chapel Road, Moody Road, Tabor Drive, Feagin Mill Road, South Houston Lake Road, Carl Vinson Parkway, Green Street, Elberta Road and several others. 

See the exact van routes and the times they arrive at each location by clicking here. 

Meals will be served daily at Northside and Perry High School from 8 a.m. to noon. 

The District will be closed on each Friday in June, as well as Friday, July 3. Meals will not be served on those days. 

Dietitian Lauren Koff said the daily meal sites at Northside and Perry High Schools serve hot meals such as chicken sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, and corn dogs, among others. In addition, each meal will come with fruit, vegetables and milk. Children are required to be present at the sites and are asked to eat the meals on location. 

Multiple-day meal packs start every Thursday at 9 a.m. from May 28 through July 23. These packs will be at Bonaire Middle School, Langston Road Primary and Northside Elementary. Unlike the first two options, parents can pick up the packs on behalf of their children. 

Koff said these meals have the same items as the daily meals but are frozen so that families can store the packs at home. Koff said this is their third year offering meal packs. 

She said each year, the Summer Feeding Program is a huge undertaking, but for a good cause. 

“Last year we served close to half a million meals over the course of June and July, so it’s a big deal,” she said. “We are more than capable and more than happy to do so.”  

With grocery prices still on the rise, Koff believes the summer feeding program can be relied on now and in the future. 

“I think the families really appreciate the variety that we are able to include in the [meal packs] and it definitely lowers their grocery bill,” she said. 

Given that the program serves any child in the county, some may have dietary restrictions. Koff said those who may have concerns about what food is offered can reach out to the school district by calling (478) 988-6200. 

“They just have to let us know what their needs are, and we can let them know what ingredients are in the food. We just address it one by one,” she said. 

The Summer Feeding Program is one of several options for feeding children over the summer. 

According to the USDA, several churches and organizations are offering meals, including The Boys and Girls Club of Central Georgia, Starbase Robins, Life Point Church, and Centerville Community Church.

Find a site near you here.

To stay up to date with the Summer Feeding program, go to the Houston County School Nutrition Facebook page.