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280,000 meals served to Omaha children last year during summer breakfast and lunch programs

Students and families in Omaha needing breakfast or lunch during the summer can get it at more than 60 sites starting later this month.

53 elementary schools, 10 middle and high schools, and two churches participate in the summer meal program. The goal of the USDA summer food service program is to provide meals to young people ages 1 through 18 who might not get breakfast or lunch otherwise. The first meal program begins May 29th, with breakfast and lunch served through August second.

Tammy Yarmon, Director of Nutrition Services for OPS, says more than 72 percent of students in the school district are eligible for the free or reduced lunch program.  “We know that a good number of our children may not have access to meals. We even see that out in schools, when high school kids will tell our cashiers that they hate to leave because that’s the last good meal that they get.”

Yarmon estimates 10,000 meals per day will be served in June and 5,000 per day in July. OPS began offering a summer breakfast program in 1991. Last summer, more than 280,000 meals were served during the summer program.

The summer meal program is open to all young people in the metro area.

More information is available at www.ops.org and www.hungerfreeheartland.org, or by calling 402-557-2230.