Summer meal program returns for children 18 and younger

Carrollton Exempted Village School District's summer feeding program is underway, providing free weekly meal packages to children during the summer months.

The program is open to any child 18 years old or younger. Children do not have to be enrolled in Carrollton Schools or reside within the school district to participate.

The free summer feeding program runs through Aug. 6, with meal distribution held every Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Carrollton High School/Carrollton Middle School main entrance. Each meal package contains seven breakfasts and seven lunches, helping provide nutritious meals for children while school is out of session.

Kitchen Supervisor April Rogers said the district is pleased to continue offering the annual program to local families.

"We are looking forward to providing children with a variety of nutritious and healthy meals throughout the summer," Rogers said.

This is Rogers' first summer overseeing the program after recently taking over the kitchen supervisor position. Rogers has worked for the district for 13 years and said she hopes to continue the success of the program established by longtime supervisor Barb Burns.

"I have big shoes to fill," Rogers said. "Barb's done this for many years, and I'm just trying to take over where she left off and make it a good program."

Rogers said participation has been strong during the early weeks of the program and credited volunteers for helping make distribution days run smoothly.

"We have a good turnout right now," she said. "We have a lot of good volunteers, and we're always looking for volunteers."

She also praised both the volunteers and families who participate in the program.

"It's just a happy thing to happen," Rogers said. "Everybody's so pleasant in line. They don't mind waiting in line. Everybody's happy."

The summer feeding program is designed to help ensure children continue to have access to nutritious meals while school is not in session. District officials encourage eligible families to take advantage of the free program.

Additional information about the summer feeding program is available through Carrollton Exempted Village School District.