Free Meals Available to All Children in the North Penn Community this Summer

Lansdale, PA -- The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Summer Food Service Program helps ensure that no child goes hungry when school is out, according to a press release.

North Penn School District (NPSD) is partnering once again this year with Manna on Main Street, the North Penn United Way, HealthSpark Foundation and the Visiting Nurses Association Foundation of Greater North Penn to offer this program locally and help bridge the hunger gap that some children may experience during the summer months, the release states.

In the NPSD, 29 percent of students receive free and/or reduced price meals during the school year, the district said.

Furthermore, three of NPSD’s elementary schools have greater than 50 percent of their population enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program, according to the district.

The Summer Food Service Program allows summer camps, park programs, daycares and other sites to offer combinations of free breakfasts, lunches and/or snacks between June 20 and August 19, the district said. .

“The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) ensures that children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session,” said Pamela Gallagher, Coordinator of School Nutrition Services for the North Penn School District.“This program has grown exponentially since we started in the summer of 2014. This year we are serving at over 40 locations in the Lansdale area. That shows there is a need in this community and that more and more children are benefitting from the program.”

In addition to these locations, the NPSD mobile meal van will be on the go, delivering free, nutritious meals Monday through Friday to four high- need areas in the community including Hatfield Community Park, Knapp, Oak Park and YorkAvenue Elementary Schools, the district said.

All children through age 18 can visit the trucks at these locations, no questions asked, and enjoy a free, healthy lunch to fuel their summer day. By bringing meals to children in their neighborhoods, the mobilemeal van reduces food access barriers and helps ensure that children are receiving nutritious meals in the North Penn region.

Mobile Meal Vans can be found at the following locations from June 20 to August 19, Monday through Friday:

• Hatfield Community Park

2500 N. Chestnut St., Hatfield

11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

• Oak Park Elementary School

500 Squirrel Lane, Lansdale

11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

• Knapp Elementary School

698 Knapp Road, Lansdale

12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

• York Avenue Elementary School

700 York Avenue, Lansdale

1:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.