City Provides Free Summer Lunches to Kids in Need

Using a reimbursement grant from the USDA, the City of Redmond's Teen Programs division is now serving free summer lunches to children every weekday at , 18304 NE 95th St.

The meals are based on federal nutrition guidelines and include a sandwhich, milk, piece of fruit and secondary source of protein, such as cheese. Any person who is 18 years of age or younger can pick up a lunch between noon and 12:45 p.m. from now through Aug. 24. The meals must be eaten on site.

Ken Wong, the city's teen programs administrator, said his office decided to apply for the grant after noticing a need during some community outreach work.

"We know that there are many youth in Redmond that participate in the free and reduced lunch program (through LWSD) during the school year, but we have always wondered how these children are fed during the summer months," Wong wrote in an email. "Across the nation, only 16 percent of the children on free/reduced lunch receive meals during the summer."

Although the  provides summer lunches to its summer school students, and  runs a , Wong said city staff wanted to reach out to children who might not qualify for these initiatives. The city's meal program does not require proof of income or residency, he said.

On Monday, the first day of the program, Wong said 26 people came to pick up lunches. He expects that number to grow as more people find out about the free meals.

Wong said the grant, which is sponsored by the state's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction through the USDA, is reimbursement based. The total cost of the program will be determined by how many meals the city gives out.

Sunset Gardens was chosen as the location for the program using a census-based analysis of income levels across the city. The Avondale corridor was determined to be an area with a high enough concentration of low-income families to qualify for the USDA grant, Wong said.