Free Meals For Kids Served Up At Manassas, Prince William County Schools

MANASSAS, VA — As school ends for the summer, children facing food insecurity could have a harder time accessing food to fill their bellies. To help feed kids this summer, schools in Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park will offer free summer meal programs.

According to the Capital Area Food Bank, over 1 million people experience food insecurity in the DC region. Almost one-third of these are children.

Prince William County Public Schools will provide free meals for children 18 and younger at select school sites for its Summer Food Service Program. Meals are typically first come, first served on weekdays and must be eaten on site. The program runs from late June to mid-July.

The schedule for free summer meals around Prince William County is as follows:

• Belmont Elementary: June 25-July 12, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (no service on July 4-5)
• Dale City Elementary: June 25-July 12, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (no service on July 4-5)
• Featherstone Elementary: June 25-July 12, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (no service on July 4-5)
• Fitzgerald Elementary: June 25-July 12, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (no service on July 4-5)
• Freedom High: June 20-July 26, 7 a.m.-8 a.m., 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. (no service on July 4-5)
• Hampton Middle: June 13-July 12, 7:15 a.m.-8:15 a.m., 10 a.m.-11:15 a.m. (no lunch service on June 17, June 19 and July 4)
• Innovation Elementary: June 25-July 12, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (no service on July 4-5)
• Kerrydale Elementary: June 25-July 12, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (no service on July 4-5)
• Leesylvania Elementary: June 25-July 12, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (no service on July 4-5)
• Loch Lomond Elementary: June 25-July 12, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (no service on July 4-5)
• Osbourn Park High: June 20-July 26, 7 a.m.-8 a.m., 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. (no service on July 4-5)
• Parkside Middle: June 25-July 12, 7:15 a.m.-8:15 a.m., 10 a.m.-11:15 a.m. (no service on July 4-5)
• Pennington Traditional: July 15-July 26, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• Porter Traditional: July 15-July 26, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• Potomac Middle: June 25-July 12, 7:15 a.m.-8:15 a.m., 10 a.m.-11:15 a.m. (no service on July 4-5)
• Rockledge Elementary: June 25-July 12, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (no service on July 4-5)
• Rosa Parks Elementary: June 25-July 12, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (no service on July 4-5)
• Triangle Elementary: June 25-July 12, 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (no service on July 4-5)

Manassas City Public Schools will also hold a Summer Food Service Program. Meals will be provided for free to children first come, first served. The program will start in mid-June and continue through late July.

The schedule is as follows:

• Jennie Dean Elementary School: June 24-July 11, 8:45 a.m.-9:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m.-12:45 p.m. (no service on July 4)
• Round Elementary School: June 24-July 11, 8:45 a.m.-9:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m.-12:45 p.m. (no service on July 4)
• Mayfield Intermediate School: June 24-July 11, 8:45 a.m.-9:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m.-12:45 p.m. (no service on July 4)
• Osbourn High School: June 17-July 25, 9 a.m.-9:30 a.m., 1:15 p.m.-1:45 p.m. (no service on June 19 or July 4)

The City of Manassas Park and Manassas Park City Schools will hold its own Summer Food Service Program at the City of Manassas Park Community Center, 99 Adams Street, Manassas Park. The program provides free meals to children 18 and under and runs June 24 to Aug. 2 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It is closed on July 4. No advance sign-ups are required.

Families needing more food assistance can use Feeding America's search tool to find local food banks near their ZIP code.

Patch has partnered with Feeding America since 2020 to help raise awareness in our local communities of hunger, a persistent national problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks and 60,000 local meals programs across the country, estimates that nearly 34 million people, including 9 million children — about 1 in 6 Americans — are living with food insecurity. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.